(c)2009 NPT PHOTO BY DAVID POPIEL

Eugene Eslinger drove into Hommel's rock and sand business leaving Boomer behind the
wheel, at least while the truck was stopped. Boomer rides shotgun so don't steal his seat.

Morning fogs continue to remind us that fall is only days away as the green gourd vines hang heavy about our hometown and pumpkins appear at Hicks farm on Wilton Springs. 

Last week we began talking about the three-legged dog, Boomer, who is the pet of the Eugene Eslinger family of Keys Road, just across the new bridge from Carson Spring Road. So here is the rest of the story of how the Eslinger's son, Travis, met little Boomer. Travis got the puppy at a friend's house after the pups were born in Oct. 2005. Travis liked the pup because when Boomer rode around in the car, the young women owed and aahed, not over Travis, but the beautiful brown pup. He was a natural "chick magnet." All went well until Boomer suddenly became gravely ill and Dr. Mike Copenhaver at Appalachian Veterinary Hospital, diagnosed the illness as Parvo, which is usually fatal. As the vets have done before, they saved the dog's life. But that was just the beginning of Boomer's tribulations. Travis moved to a new home and Deborah got attached to the pup, who stayed at Carson Springs off Splashaway. One night in July 2006, Boomer was helping Eugene work on his service truck. Afterwards, Eugene was playing with his two other dogs and didn't notice that Boomer had disappeared. This was shortly before midnight. There were celebrations with fireworks in the neighborhood, so Eugene thought Boomer got scared. After scouting about, he did find a boy who had seen the dog but friends hushed him up, said Eugene. A final call to the Newport Animal Shelter paid off. There was Boomer, who had turned up under a porch of a woman's house about two miles from the Eslinger home. The dog's toes, crawling with maggots, and hip had been damaged by what Eugene believes were injuries caused by fireworks. "I think they stuck firecrackers between his toes and exploded them. We couldn't believe how he had been tortured." Dr. Copenhaver and Dr. Matt Bryant performed surgery on the boxer's damaged toes, legs, and hip. Infection set in despite medical treatment and eventually Dr. Copenhaver had to remove Boomer's right rear leg. If you know animals, they do not sit around feeling sad and pitying their plight. Boomer did get a lot of pampering and rebounded quickly. He claims his own blanket, spot on the couch, and convinced the Eslingers he needed lots of meat, hand cut and hand fed to him.

Boomer does work for his food, accompanying Eugene on calls. He is especially welcome in the dead of night as a guard, and, when the workers have to go under floors, Boomer will go first and ferret out snakes and other varmints. "He's got it made," said Eugene. Usually you will see him in the passenger's seat. When I first took his photo, he was in the driver's seat of a red dump truck at Hommel's rock and sand business. I don't think he drove the truck. Kenny and Boomer have been known to fight over who gets to ride shotgun, and Boomer usually wins. If not, he will be right behind the passenger licking an ear. His bad experience with some humans has not turned him away from his family and friends and he does have the "Easy" life at age four.

Do you remember Jody Ball? I barely do, but recall that his father, Johnny Ball, well, for he was the Plain Talk press operator when I started in 1973 and had already been on the job for years. Jody has lived in Atlanta since 1983, and has answered a call to mission work in Nairobi, Kenya. He will depart on October 11 for three months, "spreading God's word through my testimony of hope and survival, and volunteering at local orphanages, schools and hospices." His church is sponsoring the mission, but Jody needs to raise a little over $3,500 to help cover expenses. He contacted me in hopes his hometown would offer some support. His mother is Doris Ball, a sister to Alyce Moore, wife of former sheriff Tunney Moore. The Moores had a big gathering during the Labor Day weekend at Waterville but I wasn't able to attend. Jody sent some information about his family and work in Atlanta and I will soon share this with you. But I did want to give you this contact information in case you would like to help sponsor his mission trip to Africa: Jody Ball, 404-935-8050. He shares this thought from Mahatma Gandhi: "The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others-that's just plain talk.