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7/31/26
“Uncle Dick and the Cat”
When I was about seventeen years old, Aunt Joan’s cat Milo was on its last legs, or I suppose you could say its nineth life was ending. She asked Uncle Dick (Daddy’s brother) to take the poor thing to the veterinarian to have it put to sleep. She placed blankets on the back seat of their family car and gently laid Milo on them, surrounding him with pillows, and gave Dick the money for the vet. He and I left their farmhouse in Middletown, Maryland and went, not to the veterinarian’s office, but to the beer store, where he bought a case of Budweiser. Things were beginning to get interesting! He drove us out to a dirt road nearby, pulled over, and got each of us a beer. We cracked them open and started to imbibe. He didn’t say anything until he had finished that first beer, then looked at me and said, “Get the cat and follow me.” While I was getting the cat out of the back seat, Uncle Dick opened the trunk and retrieved a twelve-gauge shotgun. He said, “No use paying a doctor to do what I can do. Lay that cat on the ground.” Milo was totally out of it – didn’t even move when I opened the car door. So, figuring it wouldn’t make that much difference how he met his demise and enjoying the cold brews, I went along with the plan and put the cat on the ground about twenty feet from Uncle Dick. I hurriedly got behind my uncle and his shotgun. Dick took aim and cocked the gun. At the sound of the loud click of the gun being cocked, Milo jumped up and started running. Dick followed him with the barrel and fired just as Milo rounded the car. Dick shot the car! As far as I know, Milo is still running around in those woods. After we each had another beer or two, we started back to their house. When we arrived, Dick parked the car so the damage couldn’t be seen from the house, and I got in my truck and went home. So, I missed the aftermath. Dick drove that car with the pellet holes for a couple of years, and I laughed inside every time I saw it.
Photo - Aunt Joan & Uncle Dick, 1960s
Tom Mindte
July 2026
Aunt Joan & Uncle Dick, 1960s