Hudson's Chronicles |
| Husdon is a beagle rescued by BONES from a bad situation in Limington, ME. After the gentleman called 911 (and subsequently passed away), the local ACO found 20 dogs living in squalid conditions BONES took most of them and is working to find them new homes. Overall, Hudson was in very good shape but when he has his physical, they found a serious mast cell tumor in his nose. As much as possible was removed but his condition will forever remain unknow - it might come back and it might not. BONES wanted to find a wonderful home for Hudaon and we did. John is a long haul trucker that had lost his beagle companion of 13 years. He wanted a new companion. Luckly John found Hudson or Hudson found John. This is a wonderful match. Hudson and John have started e-mailing us notes from the road and we want to share them with you. (Just click here to go to the latest entry!) |
 |
This is Hudson on the day John picked him up. Hudson immediately took to John and the small truck. |
In Hudsons own words: I've had fun on my first trip with John out to St Louis and back. We just delivered a tractor in Charleton, MA and are going to load a truck to take to Seattle. I have enjoyed the past week with John in his truck. I have taken over the recliner in the sleeper while we are driving. When I get tired of that, I move to the bed for a while. I do let John sleep in the bed at night with me, even though he doesn't share his meals with me. No matter how much I beg or how sad I look he doesn't even make eye contact. That's my only complaint, I'm stuck with dog food! I am a little scared when we go out if there is a lot of traffic or street noise but I think I'll get used to it soon. I am happy to be in the truck where it is just the two of us, no fighting for food or attention. I think I'll adopt John so I don't lose this good deal. |
 |
Hey, Hudson here...I am returning from a trip to Seattle with John. It smells so much different out there than in Maine. I am getting the hang of this trucking thing. It is exhausting work as you can tell from the picture. I try to keep the recliner in working order as much as I can. I am adapting to life on the road. I'm not scared to be picked up and taken out of the truck..I try to jump out all by myself! The traffic noise doesn't seem to bother me as much either. I am mad at John, however, he got a garbage can with a lid! I had my first truckwash today and it was quite a surprise with all the water, brushes, and noise. I'm glad John stayed in the truck with me so I wouldn't be alone through it all. We should be home next week and I hope to have a couple days to check out my new second home, I hope the snow is melting so I can have a good sniff around. Thanks for the great spot on the website, we are both very honored to be there. I'll be in touch about our next mission. From John: Hudson is a very affectionate guy who likes to curl up on my lap when I steal his recliner. He's under the covers at night and several times a night he will come up for air/water and then I have to let him back under. I think we are both good for each other. |
 |
 |
Hi everyone, Hudson here. Happy Easter. John took me to some of his friends to celebrate Easter. They have three kids and a dog. I had lots of fun and even got my own Easter basket! I have been having fun since we got home. I have met two people with dogs and I have fun playing with them. John took me down to Portland to the Peterbilt dealership to get some parts for the truck. I met all the people there and visited one of the salesmen for a while. I have my own seat in his office. He made fun of john a lot but was nice to me. I think he likes me better. I'm not surprised, after all, I am a Beagle. I had some fun on Thursday, I was in the pickup while John was visiting a friend here in town. The window was down about 6 inches and I managed to escape. John came out and started to look for me right away. He and two of his friends searched the parking lot and and were able to find my tracks. Big deal, there was still lots of snow! I got out of the snow and those guys didn't have a clue. John drove up and down the street several times and walked up and down lots of times. I was laying in the woods a few houses down. Those three were terrible hunters...they didn't even smell me! They could never find a rabbit, no less catch one. I'm glad I don't depend on John's hunting skill to feed me. He finally did see me lying there and came and get me. I thought it would be fun to play hide and seek with those guys but I got worried that I might be homeless when I saw how bad they really were. I learned my lesson. Tomorrow it's back in the truck for three days to do two short runs here in New England. The following week we are supposed to load for California. More when it happens. Hudson |
Hi everyone, me again. John and I got back last weekend. We delivered a log home in northern California up in the mountains. On the trip out we stopped to visit John's mother. She is really nice but she won't let me up on the furniture. Her house has lots of places to explore outside. I can't wait to go there again when I can have more time to explore. When we got to the delivery site the road was too small to get the truck in so they got a smaller truck to shuttle the bundles in to the site. This took a lot longer. That worked out well for me because there were lots of people there and I got lots of attention. (after all, I am a beagle) I did have some problems on the trip out, however. I peed on the comforter and John scolded me pretty harshly. later in the week I had to go again and I knew I wasn't allowed to go on the comforter so I burrowed under the comforter and peed on the blanket underneath. I still don't know why John was mad, I didn't pee on the comforter? On the trip home we stopped at a truckstop in Wyoming and we were walking out back when I saw a bunch of dogs off in the distance. I pulled John over to the fence and they started coming over to say hi. As they got closer I saw how big they were and I'm not ashamed to say, I put my tail between my legs and ran. Those dogs were as big as...well, cows. (what ever those are) The rest of the trip home went well and I didn't have any more accidents in the truck. That's all for now, I'll check in again soon. Hudson May 2007 |
Hi everyone, Hudson here checking in. John and I are here in Sioux Falls, SD waiting for a load on Monday. It's pretty hot this weekend so John decided to get a motel room. I hope he is comfortable because it's really hot here in the truck. Just kidding, in fact, we were poolside this afternoon for a little while. We have been staying close to home recently due to his and my personal schedules...dentist, vet, repairs, and finally we were able to get out and stretch our legs a little. We loaded an antique truck in Hancock, ME and a truck tank in Bangor. The truck went to Minnesota and the truck tank went here to South Dakota. While we were traveling through the Chicago area we were stopped at a traffic light where I saw a pretty girl walking her German Shepard. Since the window was down, I decided to jump out and introduce myself. Luckily, John acted quickly and grabbed my tail before it was too late...I always wondered what my tail was for, and now I know. We are loading large beams for a stable in Lincoln, Ma tomorrow so it looks like we'll be home the end of the week. John and I send our thoughts and prayers out to Holden and everyone out there keeping an eye out for him. Until next time, Hudson |
 |
July 30, 2007 Hi everyone, it's Hudson reporting in. John and I have had two trips since I last checked in and now we're home for a little down time.Our first trip took us to Toledo, OR to deliver some sections of large fiberglass hoods to a paper mill. We were only a short distance from the coast and delivered the day before the fourth of July. We went up to Lincoln city and got a motel room for a couple of days. The first night we pulled over on a wide pull-off and spent the night. That is where the picture was taken. (I hope this one comes out!) We checked in to the motel the next afternoon. To get to our room, we had to go through some doors and stand in some sort of box. It was quite dangerous. There was a lady and her dog who went in before us. When the doors opened they were gone. I searched every corner of that box and couldn't figure out where they went. I'm just glad that we never disappeared when we used that box, we used it every time we went to and from our room. For the fourth of July, we went to the beach and watched the sunset and then watched the fireworks. It was windy and I sat on John's lap to keep warm and to get away from the blowing sand that was low to the ground. The next day we went to Portland to load some machinery to take to Georgia. It was hot and the trip ac cross Oregon, Idaho, and Wyoming it was 100 degrees. I never knew that much of the northwest is desert, I always pictured it as being all forests. After we unloaded in Statesboro, GA we headed up to Danielsville, GA to load trailers. John new the guys there and they were really nice...in fact they started talking to me, you know the same way people talk to cows by going moo. Well anyway, I started really talking back to them and I kept talking and talking and talking. Finally, I jumped out of the truck so I could come over and say hi. I had fun there and hope we can go back there. We got back to Maine on Friday and delivered the trailers in Fairfield and had the weekend off. The next trip was just a short one down to Kentucky with some sections of pipe for a power plant. Next we went up to Ohio to load some fence products to deliver in New Hampshire. We had to get back for the weekend for a friends wedding. I guess that's about all for now. We have received this note from John: Just want to say hi and give you my own account on Hudson. He is doing great and still seems to enjoy the trucking life. He loves people and dogs and cats, so he has made lots of friends. Unlike Cassie, who didn't like dogs, Hudson is a joy to watch playing with other dogs. At home his only problem is getting into the garbage which to me is only a minor problem. He doesn't let me out of his sight and follows me from room to room. He is also very vocal if I leave his sight.When I go out, I leave the front door open so he can watch out the storm door and one friend reported that while he drove his truck past my house every hour to a job site, Hudson was at the door every time watching the world. Thanks again for making two lives better. John
|
 |
Aug 26, 2007
During the last month I have learned a new trick which has earned me a new name...Houdini. I have learned how to push out the screen and escape. I don't mean to brag but I have gone through the front door, the livingroom window, the bedroom window and even the bathroom window. I only need about 4 inches of space to squeeze through. The first time I got out the neighbor came over looking for me. soon another pickup drove in and the mechanic who works on the truck got out and he started looking for me too. They walked all over and then they saw me watching them from inside the house. I went in the pickup to the garage where John parks his truck. He had just arived after running errands. He went out and got a childs gate that he put across the door. The next day he went out and returned shortly and, you guessed it, I was outside waiting for him.No gate can keep me in! I have gotton to meet 4 of his neighbors and they are all really nice. They call him and he comes over and picks me up and trakes me home. He is getting better about checking all the windows to make sure they are all closed enough to keep me in. The last time I got out I found the bathroom window. That was a little tricky, I had to climb on the tub and then up on the counter to the window. I think John has finally learned to keep all the windows closed so I can't escape. It sure takes him a long time to learn. I can't help but wonder if all humans are this slow. He seems pretty patient through all of this so I should go easy on him. The only time he gets mad is after he has come to get me and we get home and the garbage is scattered all over the kitchen. Oops. That's about all for now. We are leaving for Harrisburg, PA this afternoon. I hope everyone has a great end of the summer. |
.jpg)
Hi everyone, Hudson here. It's been a pretty busy month. Lots of John's relatives were up for vacation at the southern maine beaches and there was a friends wedding and another friends 40th birthday party so, needless to say,our trips have been short and close to home. It was fun to go to the beach and get so much attention from all the neices and nephews (what ever they are). There were two dogs there as well, one who didn't like me and one who liked me a little too much, if you know what I mean. After spending a few days visiting everyone we had to go back to work. We loaded several partial loads which sent us out to Wisconsin eventually. Next, we went to Illinois and loaded some sander bodies to bring back to Maine.
October 4, 2007 Hudson here, what a weekend! John loaded some freight going to Phoenix and then up to the San Fransisco bay area. I liked the desert southwest...lots of different smells! still hot but it's "a dry heat". I'll bite the next person who tells me that. One of the deliveries in California was a motorcycle to a friend of John's. They have a beagle named Cash and he and I had a great time playing together. They left us home while they went out to eat and we had so much fun that we were fast asleep when everyone returned. That night, John and I went north to load and then came back to the Bay area to visit his relatives. I was imprisoned while they did a little yard work. You know I tried to squeeze and dig my way out but after a while I gave up and just tried looking pitiful.
I have to admit that as much fun as I had, it was nice to get back in the truck and back to my routine. I am looking forward to our next visit out there to see everyone again. Right now we are in St Louis waiting to load a fire engine in the morning that is going up to Bangor Maine. Next week is a short trip out to Ohio to get a piece of machinery and bring it back to Rhode Island. The toughest part is trying to find a load out to Ohio. If we can get that all done during the week we hope to stop in at the world famous BONES Beagle Bash. Wish us luck! Hudson. |
One of John's cousins came over and asked if we wanted to go in the "vette". John said yes and I said NO!!! Little did I know the "vette" was a car and not the place so near and dear to my heart. They kept talking about all the women checking them out in the car. That's stupid, the women were checking me out, after all, I am a Beagle! We visited with his two other cousins, one of whom have a golden retriever. I learned this weekend that I like playing with balls, especially tennis balls. I can chew off all the fuzz.
Oct 28 Greetings from San Antonio Florida! John and I had a great time at the Beagle Bash and enjoyed meeting lots of people and beagles during to day. I even got to see some of my cousins from Limington which was a treat. I was a little nervous about John, he doesn't get out much, but I think he behaved himself and acted like an adult. The week of the bash we did a quick trip out to Ohio and things went well except for a little mishap at one of the places we loaded. John went to move his truck out of the way of another who needed to back into a loading dock. while he as doing this, he hit a concrete pillar that was on the edge of the parking lot. It damaged the bumper and fender and there is bright yellow paint on both. When anybody asks what happened, he tells them the paint came from a school bus full of nuns, orphans and puppies that he pushed off some railroad tracks with the truck. What a liar. How can you tell if a trucker is lying? His lips are moving. Sorry, I know its old but I couldn't help myself. Our latest trip brought us here to Florida. We loaded a car in Maine, a machine in Boston and finally, some lumber in South Carolina. All three delivered in the Tampa area. John has had me on a tight leash since he says there are alligators down here. I don't understand... I like everyone. Why can't I play with an alligator? I guess that's what I have to expect, living with him...he thinks he is smarter than I am. Freight continues to be slow so we had to spend the weekend here. Yesterday, while we were going for a walk, John stepped on an anthill and had red ants all over his feet. I have to watch out for him as well as me I guess. How do you humans survive on your own? I guess that's all for now. Happy Halloween! Hudson, and him
|
November 27 Hi everyone, Hudson checking in It was a beautiful trip through real America.That evening we saw a beautiful sunset and then about 6 hours later we watched the crescent moon set as well. Then, while traveling through a small town near Dodge City, John stopped in the middle of the street because there were three horses in the street. He and a few others were able to get the horses off the street and by that time the owners have been contacted and arrived up to take the horses home, there was a hole in the fence. After that the only animals I saw were in the fields, where they belong. |
February 1 2008 Greetings from Durham, Maine. I started this out with greetings from Casper on New Year's Day but when I was done dictating to John, he started yelling and screaming and when he finally calmed down, I found out the computer crashed. After three weeks on the road, we were able to get home and he had to buy a new one. Way back in early December, I took John to the beagle wrap at the Borders book store in Braintree, MA. I was a little nervous about how he would act but he did OK. One woman made fun at his lack of wrapping skill but he took it well. After that we had several short trips that kept us busy up until the holidays.
The day after Christmas, we loaded a log home that was going to Casper, Wyoming. We were scheduled to deliver at 10 am new year's eve but we were late because interstate 80 was closed at the Wyoming border due to whiteout conditions. We were one of the first ones when the road was closed so we were able to get parked at a little truckstop at the state line. Trucks that arrived later had a hard time finding a place to park. The next day the interstate opened up and we arrived at the job site at about 1 pm. I had a chance to chase some rabbits while we were there but they were really fast. It was a disappointment having my dog food that evening after thinking I was going to have fresh rabbit. I guess I've been hanging around John too much. He's ruining my hunting skills! There were a lot of storms this trip and we spent a lot of time dodging them. We went up into South Dakota to pick up a load going to Grand Junction, Colorado. We had to wait half a day in Denver because I-70 was closed due to avalanches. The following weekend we spent in Reno, Nevada.We waited out three storms that came into California in the form of heavy rain in the San Francisco area and then snow in the Sierras, up to 10 feet! We were able to get through the passes mid-day Monday. From that point, we had better luck coming home. We had some deliveries in Virginia and were able to spend the weekend visiting with two of John's sisters and their families. They both have dogs so it was fun for me too. We had the usual territorial disputes but we got them settled. Two of the dogs, Shadow and Toby, I had met last summer so it didn't take long to get re-acquainted. The other dog, Haley, took a little longer but we ended up getting along well. John and I are off to Wisconsin on Monday and then back out to Los Angeles to pick up a By the way, here is a photo of me on the path John shoveled to get to the telephone pole.
Hudson |
John and I spent Christmas day visiting friends and neighbors and had a nice, low key day. There has been lots of snow this year and John went snowshoeing with friends that day. He has kept a path opened up for me at home so I can go to my favorite telephone pole to do my business.
street sweeper among other things so we'll be gone a few weeks. Let's hope there aren't so many storms!
We got to Buffalo and it was cold and snowing when we loaded. It was a tight fit and while John was telling the operator to stop, another guy was telling the operator to go ahead. There was a load crash which got everyone's attention. They pushed the tractor into the sweeper and shattered the windshield of the tractor...oops. Check out the smaller window on the photo. 
