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Our shutter snaps, this issue, on Rusty, a golden lab mix who was rescued as a puppy from a flooded river by Val's maternal grandfather while he was fishing. Rusty grew up to be an intelligent and helpful companion to various family and friends, especially on fishing and hunting trips. He could catch fish by grabbing them in his mouth underwater. He was also very capable of retrieving and delivering items between people fishing out in a river or on opposite shores, deftly carrying bait, cans, bottles, or even a live earthworm in his mouth. He always understood to whom things were supposed to be taken. This picture was taken in 1953, at Forked Creek in Illinois. Val's dad, John, is in the background, before he married Evelyn. Rusty continued to live with family members his whole life, and died in 1970, at the age of 18. |