We headed out today to find people catching fish. No one was fishing at Packery channel, just some mongrel dog running around. The surf was too big at Bob Hall Pier. Not having any luck at Dimmet Pier. So we were off to Port Aransas to fish the jetty. Now that I have a 12' rod I can cast out past the rocks that line the jetty. I can send a 6 oz. Sinker about 100 yards. It takes the sinker 30 seconds to get to the bottom of the ship channel. We fished there for about an hour and got skunked. I saw one guy catch a sheephead. They bite best on ghost shrimp.

Next year we are going to buy the ghost shrimp sucker, used to collect ghost shrimp. It is a piece of 2" PVC about three feet long. It has a piston inside. You go to the surf and look for a little volcano of sand that is bubbling, as the wave moves out. You put the end of the device over the volcano and lift the plunger. It sucks up a column of sand, which contains the beast. You squirt the sand out and grab the ghost shrimp.

We head back to Packery Channel. We get there and fish for about an hour. I was just feeding the Piggy Perch, so we decide to give up. The mongrel dog is still there and has been watching everyone coming and going, but keeping a distance. We open the truck doors and start to load up when the dog hops up into the truck cab. The dog is perched in the middle of the seat and won't budge. I try to lure him out with a shrimp but no dice. Old Yeller spills Susie's big gulp (pink lemonade), and some strong wet-dog stink is oozing off of it, and no doubt, soaking into the upholstery. (That was later confirmed when we got home and the noticed the stink had transferred to my clothing.)

Old Yeller had a collar and some kind of a tag. I looked at the tag and it was blank. Since I had fidgeted the collar with no protest, I gave a gentle pull. Old Yeller apparently wanted a ride real bad. The protest came in the form of a quick chomp at my right hand. I let go quickly, but Old Yeller had great eye-tooth coordination. Yep I had been nailed. Now every time I got close, the critter would snarl and show its teeth. Having tired of intimidating me, it curled up on the floorboard and got into a napping position.

I decide to walk to the highway and call Animal Control. It was about a half-mile walk to a park maintenance barn. There were a half dozen men there, so I asked if I could use the phone. I explained my plight and they showed me where the phone was located. I found the phone book and realized that I did not have my reading glasses. I asked if someone would be so kind as to read the phone book to me. This apparently was amusing to the group. I speak a little Spanish but I am better in a restaurant than in general conversation. I did notice that about every fifth word was "gringo." Someone was starting and ending most of his sentences with "gringo." The supervisor took me into his office and looked up the number for me.

The Animal Control people sprang into action. They dispatched a truck to my location before they got all of the information needed. The dispatched urged me to keep the dog from leaving. She said there would be a 10-day observation period, either the dog or me. I headed back to the truck, not wanting it to be me. Susie had perched on the hood of the truck and Old Yeller was napping. The Animal Control officer arrived promptly and performed a Yellerectomy. I got pictures.

Old Yeller was gone but the stink will be there until I shampoo the interior.

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