The Dog Tag

A lot of people wear dog tags.  Some wear their personal military dog tags and some wear the dog tags of a family member who was in the military and didn't make it home.  Others wear designer dog tags as a fashion accessory. 

I wear a dog tag around my neck.  Now, my dog tag is not my military dog tags, and it's certainly not a fashion accessory.  The dog tag I wear is a real dog tag. 

I'm always excited and eager when trout season at Blue River rolls around.  However, for the last several years my excitement has had the company of a tinge of sadness.  The dog tag I wear belonged to the best friend I ever had - my companion dog Smokey.

For a good eight years, Smokey and I spent a lot of time on Blue River.  Now, Smokey wasn't the kind of dog that many associate with being an outdoors dog.  He was in fact a miniature poodle.  But let me assure you, Smokey loved the outdoors and he was always over-excited about getting to go to Blue.  When we would pull up to a camping spot, Smokey would jump out the window if I didn't get the door open soon enough.  As I unpacked our gear, he would be on one of his expeditions - exploring both high bank, low bank, and then on to the woods. 

We spent many a night together, camped out in our tent.  We shared the same sleeping bag.  We sit on the bank of Blue many an hour, or at least I sit on the bank and Smokey sit in my lap.  And, we shared many a can of Beanie Wienies. 

I have yet to get another companion dog, and perhaps I never will.  Miss Carol has a little dog and she's pretty sweet, but she's definitely Carol's dog.  I have taken in some homeless cats since I figure everyone wants a home and a bite to eat on a regular basis.  But, I don't know that I can let myself get close to another dog.

I think I'll put the dog tag on my lanyard, and this way whenever I'm on the Blue I can  have the memory on the outside of me... instead of the inside of me.