Back  about 1981 I saw  a  6′ H MIller Grandfather  clock for  sale  at  the BX.  Had been special ordered  and  returned  so got  it for $110 I recall.  Rough  1/2  price. Great  clock , 7  day, 3  weights  for  time, hour  and  Westminster  chimes.  Lotta little  brass hammers  banging  tuned  rods.  One  day   late  80’s Tom saw  BeBe  our  fuzzy yellow  cat  jump through the  kitchen serve window to living  room and  land  on  the clock top sitting  in  front on  one side .  Just  enough forward  weight he  said  to make  the  tall slender  cabinet with another  20#  brass  weights  topple  and  smash in  pieces  on  the  Saltillo tine  floor.  Dorly  thought Tom was  blaming  the  cat  something he’d done  but I knew Beebs was capable  of  the  act.  One morning  I watched him pass  the bedroom French door with something  in  his mouth. Open the  door  to the  deck and  he  dropped  two small rabbits  at my feet.   Both  alive  so I thanked  him and  let  them go hopping  away tossed down on  the  grass. Could  see  he  was  proud  to be  the  provider. Another  day I saw him come  around the  corner with something   white   and  it  got loose and flew  up but he  jumped  and  caught  it.  Opened  door  and he  had  a  lovely  white  dove   with a  small bite  on its  wing  where he’d needed   to catch it  again.  Now  he  REALLLY looked proud handing  it to me.  I was  just  amazed at having a  Yellow  Retriever.  He also kinda liked  to swim back  from a  pool toss  so  could have  made a  hunting  cat  for small ducks except for the bang.  I named it  Coo and  spent  the  afternoon making  a   large dowel cage   with a  swing perch and kept  it  on  the  shelf  by  the  living room French doors.  Beebs  would  go  up and sit and watch his lovely white  dove  play around.  A real pet lover.  Sadly,  one day I went  out  and neighbor’s  BIG  cat had  ripped  cage  apart and  all’s  left were some  white  feathers.

BeBe  was something unusual .  We  took a  trip with each other to see  Tom at  Scott  AFB going  to  Aero Med  Tech  training  in ’93.  Bit of  a bother but  fun to travel with  as  Dorly  was  in  Germany.  Constant nose in the  air  vent at  a  new  town or  area.  Liked  the Mississippi River  a lot  Checking out of  the  BOQ I didn’t  know  he’d  slipped  out  of  the  room too.  Back to get  him he  was  missing so I ran around  yelling BE BE!  It  stood  for Bad Belly  button as  when I  delivered  them one  Sunday  AM with Foo Foo ( Fat Face) our  calico  with 6  toes  each  foot, his  cord got infected and needed care  for a  week. All Foo Foo’s  kittens were polydactyl  with Mr  Tux  having  some  5  extra for  7,6,6,6.   When I got back to the  BOQ office   there was Beebs  sitting on  the  Seville  hood like the  Caddy   ornament. Looking, “So, where  you been? ”

Tom and I’d  rented a big motel room  in  Belleville for  the Corn Fest  with Miller  trying  out do local St L  Bud in  giving  away  beer. Home  of  Buddy  Ebsen , Beverly Hill Billies and  Pvt  Detective and  famous  young  tap dancer once on a  time  to be  the Tin Man  in  W of  Oz but a bad  aluminum paint  allergy . Bunch of  airmen came along  and  BeBe lost  us  once  again but another  story of  hiding under bed  from  stupid acting me and  20 year olds drinking suds. Had been a USAF  search party all through the  complex. I finally recalled Mr  Tux  doing    a similar stunt  coming back from Port Aransas  at  the Road House. Looked  all over and  finally  was  under the Suburban 2d  seats  folded  flat.

So I was  sure  it  was true  he  alone  was  responsible but  USAA insurance  did not  cover  pet  caused  damage. Story  was  I was cleaning it  up outside on  the deck and  strong  storm gust blew  it over. Got paid  for it  and found  it  was  so well designed the  pieces  went back in  place  with  a  few  glue  jobs and new  glass  cut   and fitted.  Never  quite  good time keeper so I just  reset  it  running  first  fast  then slow last  25 years   but  close enough for  government  work. One item Ieft  unfixed was the  flooring of  the pendulum case  where  the  3  heavy weights  smashed  though. Lesson learned?  Tempus  Fugit.   As did  Beeb.

So I always  use  the  hearing  of  the  clock playing  as  an audio check. Now been 4  vacuum jobs   and  3 series  of  10 day antibiotics since  Aug  20. Got  a  new  tube  put in today with suctioning   11AM and  I just  heard  faint  chimes  at  4:45 so set the  clock. 5 O’clock and all’s  well, or  least  45%.   8