Mr. Hile's Big Red Dog

As a Woodsdale student from grades 1-4, I was always intimidated by Mr. Hile. he was so tall and looked so much like Abe Lincoln! Since I lived on the Linsly campus where my father taught & coached, I walked home each day down Leatherwood Lane and soon learned that Mr. Hile owned the most beautiful dog I had ever seen! One Saturday I noticed him in his front yard throwing a ball to this large Irish Setter. Summoning all the nerve I could at the age of 6, I stopped to say hello and to pet his dog. From that day on, I was no longer afraid of Mr. Hile and, of course, fell in love with his dog. Each day, "Red" (the name I gave him) would meet me in front of the Hile house and escort me part of the way down Leatherwood lane to my house. My big sister was always there to watch after me on our walks to and from school but "Red" was my real protector.
Although I loved my years at Linsly, there were many days during the fifth grade that I looked up the street wondering if Red was missing me. We always made sure to check on each other most weekends.
My first dog as an adult?..........An Irish Setter!
Dave Keith