I was just out of college when I got Tritty Trat. I was living in a beautiful downtown apartment on the corner of College Street and Hardeman Avenue in Macon, Georgia. It was one of those grand houses from before the turn of the century that had tastefully been divided into large apartments. And, of course, like most apartment houses, it came with a cast of assorted characters.

Catherine lived in the upstairs east apartment.

You may remember Ellie May from "Ellie May and the Opossum" if not she as a Manchester/Chihuahua mix from my childhood.

Growing up on the farm, I spent the summers in the tobacco field. We had what I call a high top harvester. It had three wheels a big drive wheel up front in the center and one smaller on each side. It was a huge thing that went so slow it would almost put you to sleep. 

We would get up and be in the field from day light till around 6 in the evening when we called it a day. Little Ellie May would walk in front of that harvester all day long.

I had a Manchester/Chihuahua mix puppy when I was a child. I named her Ellie May. When my parents brought her home she could fit into the palm of your hand. She was never very big, at most the size of a small full grown house cat.

My aunt and uncle lived up the lane behind our house and we would go back and forth to their house all the time. Ellie May would follow us. 

One night we were having a family gathering at their house. It was a old farm house that had a 3 foot crawl space under the house that was open tho the outside.

Most times when we think of cats and dogs we do not realize how well they can get along and work together, when need be. Here is a story many will not believe, if I had not seen it first hand I know I would not have.

In 1972 while in high school,  I worked part time for a florist. I worked after school and on weekends. One Saturday I was waiting for the owner to arrive to open up. I was just sitting there listening to 'Three Dog Night' on the eight track, and watching a squirrel hop around under a pecan tree looking for nuts.

A dog came around the corner of a building and into the area where the squirrel was enjoying the morning. The dog spotted the squirrel and gave chase, running it up a dogwood tree by the shop.