Memories

I were just sit'n here this morn'n try'n to get that other eye open an' got to think'n bout when I was "just a kid". I made an attempt to write down my childhood a few years back, and I'm gonna share one the stories with ya this morn'n.

THAT OLD UGLY DOG
If ya ever see a "old ugly dog", ya know's what I'm talk'n bout.
We had one them "old ugly dogs" on the farm what spend most the day sleep'n under that tree out in the front yard.

Don't remember what his name was, but I do know he was one ugly dog. 
Scars, patches of mange and one eye what always look'n the same place. 

Slobber run'n down out his lips when he sleep'n.

He was a big old thing, bout the size a new borned cow puppy. 
He bark one them "hound dog" barks when a car come down the road.
But mostly he just lay there under that tree.

Some times he would be a dead asleep'n under that tree and for no reason, jus jump straights up, lips rolled back, teeth bared and be snarl'n at absolutely nuttin. 
None the other boy would get no where's close to him, 'cause they was gonna get bit.

That "old ugly dog" would foller me everywheres I go, but he knowed I was gonna do something mean before the day was through.
But I guess dogs are like that.....sense tragedy an' stuff like that. 
Me and that dog went turtle hunt'n, fish'n, tree climb'n, blackberry pick'n, cow and pig chas'n and the funest of all, to me but not him, play'n cowboys and indians. He were the indian, what got tied up, shot, rastled to the ground, and almost burn at the stake.
One time we was sit'n under a tree, me and that dog, eat'n persimmons what was lay'n on the ground.
He bite into one them "green" ones what I had stuff in his mouth an' boy howdy, have ya ever seen a puckered upan' pissed off dog?

One bright sunshiny spring day, I spy'ed that "old ugly dog" sleep'n under that front yard tree.
Being the adventurous kind a feller I am, I sneeks up in that tree real quiet like, out on a limb right over the top that old ugly dog.
I were gonna be one them wild west rodeo stars and I jumps right slap in the middle that sleep'n dogs back. 
Just like that cat, what eat me up, all hell breaks loose. That old lazy ugly dog come slap alive, with lips a flapp'n, growl'n and bites hell out me. I'm scream'n "MOM'S" loud as I can.
Moms heard the commotion and come a runn'n with a broom stick in her hand, scream'n all kind of obscenities. That where I learn to "cuss" so good.
She done beat bumps an' lumps all over that poor "old ugly dog", plumb down to the cornfield she chase that old ugly dog.
After that day, me and that "old ugly dog" never went nowheres together again.
I was plumb skeered of him and he was plumb skeered of me.....an' that broom stick.