Now, they're all gone
My favorite picture of out dogs
(Click on picture to enlarge in a different tab)
Katie and Tucker in the background; Cricket on the A-frame; Just Mike in the weaves; Fire exiting the tunnel; and Allie.
Now, they're all gone.
Fire crossed the Rainbow Bridge last Monday (3/9) after an 8-month battle with cancer - Tumor involved lung and pressed on heart - inoperable, no chemotherapy - prognosis 1 to 3 months. Though holistic medicine she had a good almost 8 months, traveled with us last summer and competed in agility for another 4 months. Over the weekend, while we were at an agility trial, she told us that it was time. I wonder if her not being able to compete had anything to do with it.
There was Friar Tuck - Tucker, the "good old boy" who was easy going, even for a Golden. Yet, he kept the others in line with just a look. All except the puppies with whom he had the patience of Job
And Katie-Did-It - Katie, our first tracking dog, our first agility dog. Always happy and the most determined dog we've ever had. When the ball was thrown, in a lake, the ocean, or on land, she was always the one that won the race to retrieve it. When she was older, she lived to 15, she still won ever race she entered; she was just more selective about the races she chose to enter.
Cricket - Always beta and always protective of that position. She was Sarah's best tracking dog and excellent in agility. She was a "middle child" always reserved, always willing to please, always wanting praise.
Just Mike - Our first border collie and always the low man on the totem pole. He always had to work; even in the house, he had his protected corner from which he watched everyone move. When everybody was lying down, he would pick up a ball and drop in their mist. Then he would run back to his corner to watch. A champion agility dog, but too tough on the sheep to be a good herder.
Playing With Fire - Fire, the greatest dog with kids and she won the kissing contest at last year's Toys for Tots fundraiser in Oxford, NC. (She came to us because she "couldn't bond" with her owner. Wonder what was wrong with that person.) When Katie died, Fire expected Cricket to be alpha, but she wanted no part of that responsibility. While Cricket lived, Fire always showed deference to her, but to no one else. A good herder, but definitely Sarah's best, so far, agility dog (that is, once she taught Sarah how to handle. She nipped Sarah more than once because Sarah's timing was too slow) - We think that she could read the numbers. Loved watching her channels on television. If she didn't like what was on, she would stare at the remote. An extraordinary swimmer. When she took off down the Snake River and disappeared in the distance our hearts almost stopped. A few minutes later she came racing along the bank only to jump in and take off again. Next to Katie, out best retriever except, she never brought the ball all the way back. She would get within 5 feet and then flip it, expecting you to catch it. In her younger days, we couldn't leave her outside when we were gone. She would climb the fence and be waiting for us on the front porch. Usually, she would be wet or muddy or stinking of some foul smell that she thought was perfume. Fire loved thetherball and soccer. She wold play thetherball by herself or give a kid a good game. She loved playing goalie in soccer; the ball always came out worse for the wear.
Natural Blonde Ale - Allie, the first dog that I handled. Full of life and died at two in a tragic accident.
Well, that helped a little. Time to go hug Breeze, Jinks and Razz
on edit: added thetherball and soccer to Fire's bio.
Tom
(Click on picture to enlarge in a different tab)
Katie and Tucker in the background; Cricket on the A-frame; Just Mike in the weaves; Fire exiting the tunnel; and Allie.
Now, they're all gone.
Fire crossed the Rainbow Bridge last Monday (3/9) after an 8-month battle with cancer - Tumor involved lung and pressed on heart - inoperable, no chemotherapy - prognosis 1 to 3 months. Though holistic medicine she had a good almost 8 months, traveled with us last summer and competed in agility for another 4 months. Over the weekend, while we were at an agility trial, she told us that it was time. I wonder if her not being able to compete had anything to do with it.
There was Friar Tuck - Tucker, the "good old boy" who was easy going, even for a Golden. Yet, he kept the others in line with just a look. All except the puppies with whom he had the patience of Job
And Katie-Did-It - Katie, our first tracking dog, our first agility dog. Always happy and the most determined dog we've ever had. When the ball was thrown, in a lake, the ocean, or on land, she was always the one that won the race to retrieve it. When she was older, she lived to 15, she still won ever race she entered; she was just more selective about the races she chose to enter.
Cricket - Always beta and always protective of that position. She was Sarah's best tracking dog and excellent in agility. She was a "middle child" always reserved, always willing to please, always wanting praise.
Just Mike - Our first border collie and always the low man on the totem pole. He always had to work; even in the house, he had his protected corner from which he watched everyone move. When everybody was lying down, he would pick up a ball and drop in their mist. Then he would run back to his corner to watch. A champion agility dog, but too tough on the sheep to be a good herder.
Playing With Fire - Fire, the greatest dog with kids and she won the kissing contest at last year's Toys for Tots fundraiser in Oxford, NC. (She came to us because she "couldn't bond" with her owner. Wonder what was wrong with that person.) When Katie died, Fire expected Cricket to be alpha, but she wanted no part of that responsibility. While Cricket lived, Fire always showed deference to her, but to no one else. A good herder, but definitely Sarah's best, so far, agility dog (that is, once she taught Sarah how to handle. She nipped Sarah more than once because Sarah's timing was too slow) - We think that she could read the numbers. Loved watching her channels on television. If she didn't like what was on, she would stare at the remote. An extraordinary swimmer. When she took off down the Snake River and disappeared in the distance our hearts almost stopped. A few minutes later she came racing along the bank only to jump in and take off again. Next to Katie, out best retriever except, she never brought the ball all the way back. She would get within 5 feet and then flip it, expecting you to catch it. In her younger days, we couldn't leave her outside when we were gone. She would climb the fence and be waiting for us on the front porch. Usually, she would be wet or muddy or stinking of some foul smell that she thought was perfume. Fire loved thetherball and soccer. She wold play thetherball by herself or give a kid a good game. She loved playing goalie in soccer; the ball always came out worse for the wear.
Natural Blonde Ale - Allie, the first dog that I handled. Full of life and died at two in a tragic accident.
Well, that helped a little. Time to go hug Breeze, Jinks and Razz
on edit: added thetherball and soccer to Fire's bio.
Tom
