The Pickleville Philosopher

By Jim Stone, The Pickleville Philosopher

I was going through some old boxes of great memories, most of them Involve family friends, the outdoors hunting and fishing, but the ones that stand the most clear In my mind are dogs.  I love all dogs whether they are mine or someone else’s dogs.  Dogs aim to please more than a hundred percent of the time even when their precious life is at stake.

With that said, It was a bad winter, kinda like this one  I was heading off the mountain to the grocery store to get stocked up and ready for a heavy snow bound long winter.

I was coming down the backside of the summit and there was this huge snow white dog running down the road barking like he might have been in some kind of trouble.  I turned around as the big dog ran up just to the side of some cliffs covered in snow.  Most lost dogs I’ve found will come to me then I could get them in my truck and find their owner.

I got out and yelled, “here boy, here boy”.  Well, he charged down that mountain like a very upset bear which I had seen many times while guiding fishermen in Alaska. When a top of the food chain animal drops Its ears and comes at you, you’re in a heap of trouble in a very short time.  And this dog was big.

I jumped back in my truck as he headed back up the mountain.   I went on my way to get my supplies thinking of this monster dog I had just encountered In the middle of nowhere I had that feeling that we all get.

I just knew the dog was in soon to be big trouble with winter just arriving.  All I could think about with a whole truck load of food was that big dog being stranded and starving to death.  I just can’t take anyone or anything starving.  I get so upset, it just wipes me out emotionally.

I was driving by where I had seen the dog.  I pulled off again and looked around, yelling, “here boy, I got treats for you, come on Big Boy.”  He never barked or came to look. 

Well I had three dogs at the time and had their dog food In my truck I grabbed a shovel and a couple pounds of food and walked about twenty yards of the road.  I dug down through the snow till I hit ground and left a nice pile of food there in hope that the dog, which I had already named Big Boy, would find it then went on my way.

A couple days had gone by.  I decided to go see if the food was gone and try to determined if the birds had gotten it or Big Boy had gotten it.   I got to where I had left the food, it was gone.  There was a small trail coming from the pine trees right to the food. 

It was Big Boy. I yelled for him.  Here he came.  He didn’t sound so mean this time.   I think he knew I left him food last time.  His bark was so loud It would echo off the cliffs like there was a whole gang of dogs.  I left more food and backed away.  When I was a good distance from the food he started eating.  So off I went.

The snow was coming hard. I got told of one of my best friends and told him all about this dog.  He knew exactly what It was and had a good idea why it wouldn’t come to me. It was a Great Pyrenees.  Their job is to protect the sheep from predators.  That dog must have stranded sheep that can’t get through the deep snow and he’s not going to leave them.  He will protect the sheep until there is nothing to protect. If doing so doesn’t take his life first.

 By this time heavy winters was here.   I had called all the ranchers that I could find and none were missing a dog. I had never seen the sheep.  I thought maybe If I put a bale of alfalfa on a sled and try to get it off the road maybe the sheep would come for it.

The deer moose and elk were gone to their winter range.  I left the hay and came back the next day.  About half of It was gone.  I was astounded; I just could not believe my eyes.   Big Boy was about a hundred yards away from me, there were droppings of alfalfa all the way up a trail through the deep snow leading to Big Boy who had broken of a slab of It and was taking It to the starving sheep.

I would have never believed it if I didn’t witness it.  This went on for a couple weeks until I just couldn’t get even off the road to bring more food to the sheep. The snow was so deep and I couldn’t get up the cliffs any more.   It was too dangerous.   I started buying corn dogs from the gas station and throwing them like a football to try to get some food to Big Boy. I got to where I could throw a corn dog a pretty long ways but soon even Big Boy as big and strong as he was he was stranded and soon he was not there waiting. I was sad and also mad that the owner would do this to this fIne, beautiful animal.

 I did have a good Idea who Big Boy belonged to.  I couldn’t help any more. It was very expensive to drive up there and bring food every day It was money I really didn’t have. I was just heart broken.

My great friend Bryce stopped by.  I told hind the story.  He Is smarter than I.  He said go public with it. I think you will be overwhelmed with the response you will get. So I did and.....allllll  helllll broke loose .

About five miles down the road there was a big parking lot that was cleared of snow. Soon the parking lot was full the search and rescue volunteers from every walk of life.  I showed them where I thought Big Boy was.  Search and Rescue came In from the back side of the mountain and came out with three sheep and Big Boy.  Big Boy wouldn’t let any one touch hIm but he followed the very weak skinny sheep into a horse trailer.

My suspicion was right. I knew the horse trailer and the ranch where it was from. It was a huge effort that so many fine people had come together on.   I became a big believer In humanity.

I bought two corn dogs. I didn’t even get out of my truck.  This time Big Boy was happy.  He knew it was me. He still wouldn’t come to me.  I talked to him for a few minutes than left his corn dogs. As I drove of he chased me down the road barking and letting me know he was home now and ok.  

For five more years I would occasionally drive by and take him a treat he would always great me with that deep bark.