I have always thought a young boy needs a dog. Does that mean three young boys need three hounds?

Nah!

Rian told me an interesting story yesterday, and to tell you the truth it surprised me. The boys are getting a dog.

Holt has wanted a dog for a while. Drew has always been intrigued, but Reid took after his Dad and wasn't crazy about having a dog. Throw in the mix their mother is very allergic and it is no wonder a dog hasn't resided at 5402 16th Place.

But, that is all fixing to change. Perhaps it already has.

Reid decided he wanted a dog, but he wanted a known commodity. He wanted the miniature Dachshund Penney that belongs to Rian's boss's family. Reid asked his Dad and his Dad told him to call Jimmy. Reid did and Jimmy told Reid, Penney is Jada's dog, if she agrees, you can have Penney. Reid called Jada, who lives in the dorm at LCU and who often babysits the three boys and she agreed, telling Reid she couldn't have a dog in the dorm but as long as she could visit, she gave the deal her blessing.

I tell you, that Reid is a mover and a shaker!

Worst thing about it is Penney is a seven year old dog.

I don't want anyone to think I am skirting an issue, so after a week since its occurrence, for any of you wondering it is true. Yes, Chris assaulted a train with his mule.

It seems Chris had been imbibing in the spirits and decided to go the caleche pit at his Dad's gin and shoot his deer rifle. He was traveling West with his ear phones on jamming when a West bound train was overtaking him. Just where the county road crosses the tracks, the train passed Chris in time for him to make contact at the rear of the lead engine. He rode out the first barrel roll as the train took control of the off road vehicle, but then he was thrown down the rail bed (luckily away from the tracks). The mule was violently rolled several more times before it broke away from the train.

A man who lived close by found Chris lying in the ditch and summoned the authorities and called Pat and Hag who were on their way home from a wedding in Amarillo. The Highway Patrol and an ambulance were soon on the scene.

Chris was very uncooperative with the paramedics so they strapped him to a board. Sources say he would pepper anyone within earshot with explicit demands to be released.

Amazingly, he suffered only minor injuries. Scrapes and bruises. He did have to stay overnight in the ICU.

I don't know where this will end up. I figure the DPS is still exploring options. Chris doesn't have a driver's license, but could be ticketed for driving while intoxicated, operating an off road vehicle on a public roadway un-registered, another option could be public intoxication.

I am not sure the total impact of his actions have set in with Chris. He lost his Kawasaki Mule, which he had paid for over a few years. He now has a ICU, ER, Hospital bill. And the biggest loss is loss of the limited independence the mule afforded him.

Chris stayed hid out for the first part of the week. If a customer came in, he headed for the back or the shop bays. We have been peppered with official sounding calls from different agencies.

I am thankful Chris was not killed or seriously hurt, yet I don't think it is going to be good if he gets off without some sort of reprimand and punishment. Maybe he could lay it out over several weekends.

Chris has been on a dangerous path, and a week ago Saturday that path took a radical turn and Chris was extremely lucky. For quite sometime Chris has manipulated and posed and positioned himself, trying to make a lot of different people think he had a grip on things. Obviously he doesn't and hasn't.

What he does and where he goes from here is going to speak volumes.

We can only hope.

The really odd thing is when Chris has gone with me to work pulls or attend a competition, he has never had a problem. I tell him if he chooses to drink I expect him to drink responsibly and behave. It has never been a problem. Yet when he is alone, he doesn't seem able to stop.

To me this signals a problem.

Please lift him and his problems up in your prayers.

FATHER, thank YOU for all our blessings. For the new puppy for the boys. For Chris not being seriously injured. We pray that YOU will intervene and that YOU will give Chris a new resolve and a new conviction. Bless-ed be YOUR name.