Ol' moze - On A Positive Note

Guns Magazine, Nov, 2003 by Jim Gardner

Three days ago, at 2:30 in the morning, my account finally came due.

For the first few years, you tend not to think about it much. But as they grow older and become such an integral part of your life, a thought surfaces in the dark recesses of your brain. You know one day you'll pay in tears and heartbreak for the joy you're experiencing now.

Of course it can happen at any time. Maybe it will be a screech of tires and a sickening thud, or worse, the helpless agony of watching your beloved companion lose his fight against disease. But we expect a certain span of joy before the grief. For some this is granted. For some, it is not.

Moze wasn't a pup. He was three days short of nine years and four months when it happened. But of course I expected more years with him.

Something in his voice as he awakened me caused me to pick up a flashlight before letting him out. Instead, there was just enough moonlight to see him as he "watered" his favorite tree.

Then he fell to the ground.

The weather had been hot, and for a half second I thought he was cooling himself in the sand, but no. I ran to him, and sitting in the dust, I stroked and comforted him as he convulsed and the life left him. An ear to his side told me what I couldn't believe, that his great heart beat no longer.

His favorite blanket was spread upon the back porch, and I carried his limp body to it, brushing the leaves from his beautiful, soft coat. I placed my sleeping bag beside him and petted and spoke to him until dawn. How many nights had he watched over me and kept me warm along some trout stream or in a lonely desert camp? Now it was my turn.

It's hard to give thanks at such times, but I thanked God for the years he had given me with Moze. I thanked him that my pup had not suffered unduly, and that--hard as it was to witness--he had not been alone when his end came.

At first light, I began to make a safe resting place for my dear friend in that hard earth. I wrapped his big bear-like head in one of my favorite work shirts, as if to keep any scent in his nostrils. I took a lock of his long silky hair and cut a tuft of mine to press close to his heart before securing him in his blanket and laying him gently to rest.

Maybe that's silly, but you don't think so at such a time. And I'm not embarrassed to admit that as I covered his grave with rocks I stained each one with tears.

Yes, a dog--a good dog--is an account you'll have to settle one day. Now, set this magazine aside and go spend a few extra moments loving your pup. Because friend, the day will come when you would give anything to scratch behind those soft ears and look into his eyes once more.

Goodbye Moze. It's a lonely world without you.

Point Of Clarification

The cover of our recent August issue carried the words "Cold Canadian Steel," denoting Pat Covert's excellent article on custom bladesmiths Greg Lightfoot and Brian Tighe.

Friend Lynn Thompson of Cold Steer[TM] knives telephoned recently to remark that the text was mighty close to his trademarked company name. I think Lynn was having fun pulling my chain, but just in case anyone had a question, nope, we weren't talking about that Cold Steel.[TM] Duly noted?

Now You See It, Now You Don't

Recently, I've been in contact with a nice fellow from Florida who does a particularly fine job of camouflaging rifles and other gear with a tough resin coating. Operating as Combat Coat, Inc.; Mark Dougan is an energetic and serious Marine who takes great pride in designing patterns to ideally match his customer's requirements. Law enforcement and military personnel make up the bulk of his customers, but hunters can make good use of his skills as well.

Dougan learned his craft while in the service, pattern painting his unit's rifles. His work was so popular it eventually blossomed into a business. Starting with his existing experience, Mark took several college art classes to expand his knowledge of the subject, and now offers a wide variety of very intricate and carefully thought out patterns to match any environment.

The coating is extremely durable and rust resistant, rated for more than 500 hours of salt spray exposure. Thirteen colors are available, and usually four to six are mottled together to complete the pattern.

Camouflage is not the only service Dougan provides. Need to give some of your agency's shotguns a bright orange color to designate them for less-than-lethal use? How about a tough, non-reflective replacement finish for that scarred-up hunting rifle? Mark can accommodate you, and at a reasonable price. Turnaround time runs two to three weeks depending upon the exact work desired.

For more information, check out the Website at: www.combatcoat.com. The telephone number is: [561] 856-8772.