Daddy smiled. "Was it around nine o'clock?"

"Well yeah, Jim, I believe it was."

Daddy laughed. "You're lookin' at El Diablo. I chased those Mexicans off my land."

"Well hell, Jim, if I'd a known they was yours I'd a sent ‘em back."

But remember, Bill Ball loves his cats.

Hurricane Floyd, fifth and final one I saw in Watha (North Carolina), was worst. It came on heels of Hurricane Dennis, a rather weak one that hit us twice. The land was already flooded and river was seeping over banks. Then came Floyd. Not only was it destructive, but it hovered a while, raining and raining.

Bill Ball lives half a mile from river, which was higher than anyone remembered it being before. When road was under water, he crossed it to get his cats. He left them on porch, where they stayed for a while. Then they went under house, a favorite spot, and he forgot about them.

Hours passed, and river kept rising. Nobody in area had power at this point, and there was quite a bit of property damage. Meanwhile, rains kept coming. Bill and his wife were sitting in house, waiting it out by candlelight, when they heard an awful howling. It wasn't wind. It sounded terrible. It was coming from beneath floor.

"The cats!"

Bill ran outside. The water came up to his waist, maybe higher. He waded over to a place where a pipe led from somewhere outside to beneath house. He pulled aside plastic and insulation that blocked hole, but both cats were too large to fit through it. He rescued a third cat, whose name I don't know.

Bill rushed into house, now thoroughly soaked. The screaming was terrible. Clipper and Keebles had maybe an inch of air, and water was still rising. These were screams of two cats who were drowning.

"Oh God, Bill, do something quick! Do something!"

Bill looked at his floor. His gorgeous, polished hardwood floor. It had his initials burned into it with a circle around them, I think. I never saw it myself, but I heard that it was a real work of art. He was so proud of that floor.

"Well," he decided, "It's probably ruined anyway."

Bill got his chainsaw and cut a hole in floor to save his drowning cats.

I told you, Bill Ball loves his cats.

Michael publishes a free weekly newsletter, WHO MOVED MY RICE?, which is dedicated to proving that you can't eat grits with chopsticks. http://www.chinarice.org

Grooming: Pugs don't require much grooming with their short coats. The loose hairs can be removed with a rubber brush and facial creases should have lotion applied to them every now and then.

Exercise: Pugs enjoy playing and roaming about and don't need too much exercise. Due to their short muzzles, their breathing can become somewhat restricted if over-exercised or kept in hot weather. Therefore light exercise is recommended and having a cool, shady area available during summer.

History: Pugs have evolved from Chinese Buddhist monasteries and were depicted on scrolls as far back as 400 BC. It is thought that they made their way to Europe (in particular to Holland) with Turkish fleet in 1553 or with Dutch ships in China trade. Pugs became established in Holland and then later in Germany where they got name 'mops' (angry looking). In Italy they were known as a 'Carlin'. During Napoleonic times it was a fashion statement to own a Pug.

Additional Comments: Most Pugs snore due to their short muzzles. The Pugs tail is made up of several small vertebrae that forms final length of spine. The coiled tail is characteristic of Pug and forms a single or double spiral that is held tightly over hip. The double curl is considered to be ideal.