"Sparky" - in the Redlands

My brother and oldest sister, each, were married about this time,
leaving just my 16 year old sister and my little sister and ME
of the Hodges kids!

PHOTO: Dolores, June, Joy and a playmate we had there!

These are the woods
we liked to play in! It LOOKS snakey!

~~~~~~

Sparky

My sister and I loved the story programs on radio during this period.
One we liked a lot was called ‘Big John and Sparky!’
We never missed this, if we could help it.

I liked this show so much that I named the stray pup that showed up at our door
(and we were allowed to keep) ‘Sparky!’
This pup was small, frisky and all white - and soon became my very own dog.
This was a fact at least recognized by Sparky and me!

Every day I waited with excitement and anticipation,
for the school day to end and the long bus ride home to be over.
Playtime with the pup had taken the number one spot in my line up of things
I wanted to do.

One day, as I got home with smiles and happy calls for my pup,
Mama had sad news for me.
She told me Sparky had been killed in the street that day!

With those words I felt my heart break!
I ran to the edge of our back yard and cried and cried
until my eyes were sore and hurting…and the ache in my heart like a
heavy, hot stone!

The hurt was so unexpected and so deep,
not even my dear mama could console me.


Remembering little Sparky...June3,2005

PHOTO: Me with little Sparky. Joy with a kitten!