ANOTHER GARFIELD STORY.

(Please excuse the run-ons and small print,,,the web site scrambles the format when it transfers from my E-mail) 

 

Like many in our family, Garfield (my Dad) was a huge animal lover.  We always had an array of dogs and cats while growing up.  It was

Garfield’s idea to bring home “Fritz” from Diamond Lake one day on our way home from boating.  (We’ll get to the boating stories another day!!) 

Fritz was a medium sized, black & white, short-haired, Fox Terrier, better known in our family as “A delinquent!”.   He was very cute,

and he was not discriminatory about who he bit; he just bit EVERYONE, except my sister Susie and me.  (He slept by my side every night.)  

Even the UPS driver wouldn’t  leave packages if Fritz was out….He sat in the driveway and honked for Garfield to come out!  

Fritz was a frequent visitor to the Humane Society or “Dog Pond”, as it came to be known, (but as we know, correctly pronounced “Pound”). 

Fritz  would take off for awhile, and a short time later, Dad would get a phone call and leave.  It was the “Dog Pond” saying,

“Hey Garfield,,,we got Fritz over here again.”  They never charged him or ticketed him, just called to come and get his dog, Fritz.

15 minutes later, the 1967 Buick pulled in the driveway with Fritz in the front seat Enjoying the ride,,,All was Well.      

     One summer afternoon, I stopped home to find Garfield “attempting” (Notice I say attempting), to back the lawn tractor down planks

extended from the bed of a pick-up truck.  Needless to say,  if you knew Garfield, you could guess this!  He got just a little too close to

the edge of the planks and…..KUR-PLOP!  The tractor and Garfield fell right off sideways onto the ground, with Garfield still seated,

the tractor pinning him down sideways!  A sight to behold,,,,  (Keep in mind, the only injuries he suffered were mental!)  Now, Fritz,

being the delinquent he was, saw his chance,,,,The Alpha male was down,,,,The alpha male couldn’t move.  If he planned his attack right,

HE could be the Alpha male!  Instantly, Fritz ran over, barking, nipping, dodging in and out, running back and forth attacking Garfield

pinned under the tractor.  Garfield was wriggling and squirming from beneath and at the same time, taught me some new words!  

My mother (Yvonne), was so stunned and laughing so hard that she froze in her tracks! 

I, being the dutiful daughter, had to go “Save My Dad” from Fritz, the delinquent, killer dog! 

   As amazing as it may seem that Garfield didn’t “do him in”, Fritz lived to be very, very old.  I had been married for a number of years

before Fritz met his demise with a tow truck!

    I mean,,, c’mon!!    Who else would have a delinquent dog that attacked his own master, and then was so mean that he had to be

taken out by a tow truck?

Only Garfield,,,,,,,,,Only Garfield!!  But, actually,,,I'm not sure who the bigger character was here,,,,,

Fritz or Garfield!!

 

Barb Winger/D.Garfield/Gr D/H Ray