Pets By Hollis

Lucky Dog
Bentley liked to ride in the truck-always did, even when he was a puppy and Casey was a little boy.

They had grown up together. Casey wasn't old enough to drive yet, but that didn't stop him and his best friend Bentley from going to the back of his uncle's farm and sitting in the old Chevy pickup anticipating when that day would come.The pickup was once shiny green, born around 1951 in a factory somewhere in Michigan. Nobody could remember back far enough to when the truck still ran and now it sat below the old pond bank, the color of rust. The windows still rolled up and down and the seats were still sit-able, if you didn't mind a little dirt and a spider or two. It didn't seem to matter much to Bentley whether the truck moved or not, Casey didn't feel the same. He couldn't wait for the day he would get his license and drive Bentley around with the windows down--all the way. Hanging his head out of the window was a sweet delight for Bentley when he got to ride shotgun in Casey's Aunt Diane's car. After some of these town trips Casey had to clean the dog slobbers off the side of the car--but he didn't mind too much. He didn't mind dog slobbers at all. It was always a wild ride in that old pickup that sat in the field. They went to Zanzibar (only because it was a cool name- they had no idea where it was or who lived there), they went to Alaska to see the bears--because Casey had studied about bears in school. They even went to Mars once, because as we all know if the vehicle you are navigating is running on imagination you can go ANYWHERE!
Those days are long gone now, when children and dogs sat in old abandon vehicles and dreamed of the life they would have--together.
PS When you have your best friend beside you, sitting in an old green pickup, life is pretty sweet.

Above is a watercolor painted from the photograph you see here. Bentley is a beautiful Boxer that belongs to my friend Casey.

To commission a pet painting contact me--I would love to help you create a lasting memory.

And feel free to leave a comment if the spirit moves you!!