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Wednesday, June 2, 2010 Orono Weekly Times - 9 Places I've Done Time by Clifford Francis Bite back Last week myself and the girl that works with me went on a painting job we had to go to. A great big old dog greeted us at the truck. "Do you think he will bite?" Karon asks. "I think not," I reply. Our previous employer had given me a big Cuban Cigar and I sat there smoking it and feeling like Fidel Castro and in no hurry to start work. Karon, always being in a hurry, got out and started around the truck. I heard the dog start growling and saw her jabbing him with a paint bush. She looked like a sword fighter. I jumped out and in the skirmish I either swallowed my good Havana Cigar or lost it, but we drove the dog off. He and Karon now have become friends but he doesn't care for me. This is not my first encounter with dogs that like to bite. When I was a little fellow maybe seven or eight the neighbour's dog gnawed on me pretty good. I needed more then several stitches to close a cut above my eye. The dog was quarantined for quite sometime to see whether or not it had rabies but we both turned out negative. Two weeks later I was bitten again by the same dog. Everyone said I teased it but that was not true. Father said the scar gave me character, maybe it did, but Rover got his a couple years later. I was snaring rabbits and Rover got caught in the snare. When I found him he was frozen stiff sitting on his haunches still trying to get out of the snare. I dragged him and stood him on the side of the highway and everyone marveled at how he just stood there and died. I told everyone he was chasing cars and took a heart attack, little did they know. There were no encounters with dogs for years and then there was a few in quick succession. I went to get paid for a tractor that I had sold and he had a Doberman and a Weiner dog and I was leary of the big dog and got bitten by the little fellow. A week later I got bit by a collie. That was my fault I didn't read the Beware of Dog sign and opened the gate. He bit me several times on the hands and a couple of times on my back side. Not long after I was bitten again by two dogs on the same farm. One dog bit me when I knocked on the door and the second one bit me when I went to get in the truck. Nothing has bitten me lately and like I say, bite back. Are you in an abusive relationship? Bethesda House 905-623-6050 or 1-800-338-3397 Call Advertise in the ORONO WEEKLY TIMES 905-983-5301 oronotimes@rogers.com