Four Years

We have not forgotten you, Danny. Always, always...

Danny's Spot

When Danny passed away, we planted a tree hydrangea in his memory.

The other day, I noticed the female mallard walking around Danny's bush. The hen then sat down behind the bush. I wondered if the duck might be looking for a nesting spot.

I immediately wondered what Danny would think about a duck selecting his special place to nest. I decided that it would be fitting for the ducks and Danny to still be connected .

Unfortunately, the hen did not choose to lay her eggs in our yard. She has not been around for a few days, but the drake still shows up for breakfast. I believe the duck is now sitting on her nest somewhere.

Memories of Maddy

It was 5:30 pm and starting to get dark outside. As I returned home, from walking Cooper and Otis, I saw something by the edge of the pond. As I got closer, I realized that the mallard pair was back for a visit. I brought the dogs inside and scooped up some corn.

As I started towards the pond, the female ran towards me, quacking loudly. When I was within arms reach, she raced back to the edge of the water. As I threw the corn to the ducks, I wondered, could this be Maddy and Paddy ?

I then realized that we have not seen Maddy and Paddy since Danny died, which is almost 4 years ago. I doubt that a wild duck could survive that long. In any case, I smiled at the memory of our super-friendly ducks and our special Golden boy.

QUACK

At 6:30 am on Sunday, I heard ducks quacking on the pond. Otis jumped off the bed, raced to the window and began to whine. Otis ran to the different windows, wanting to get to the ducks.

Luckily, Cooper was exhausted from the previous day's activities and did not get up. At 7:00, it was obvious that Otis was not going to go back to sleep.

When we took Coop & Otis out, the ducks swam to the edge of the pond. For a moment, I wondered if this might be Maddy and Paddy. As we walked the dogs, we reminisced about how Danny loved to stalk our previous mallards.

Later in the morning, Jeff was outside and the ducks again swam towards him.We threw out some corn and bread. The ducks came over to eat. I am not sure where these ducks are from or why they chose to stop at our home for breakfast, but it was fun to see them.

3 Years

Still miss you, Danny. Always will.

Dutch Iris

When I saw these Dutch Iris I could not resist buying them. Their purple color reminds me of Jake, our first Golden Retriever. For 9 years, Jake proudly wore his purple Neuse Golden Retriever Rescue collar.

Jake was a sweet, gentle dog who never was able to forget the early years of abuse. The scars on Jake's body were mirrored in his sorrowful eyes. Time does not heal all wounds and Jake's rescue came two years too late.

 

Happy Birthday JJ. We still miss you. Danny, Cooper and Otis joined our family because of the wonderful times we shared with you, our first rescue dog.

What's Wrong with Cooper ?

For the past few days, Cooper has not wanted to eat breakfast. I was not too concerned, because Coop was still eating dinner and  milkbones. Jeff thought maybe Coop was having too many snacks and was not hungry.  When Coop showed no interest in dinner last night, I really began to worry. Memories of Danny's loss of appetite and cancer still haunt me.

We also noticed that Cooper is limping and seems stiff when getting up. When Coop could not get comfortable lying on our bed, Jeff ran out to the pharmacy for buffered aspirin. I don't know if Coop's stiffness is from too much rough housing with Otis or possibly arthritis.

Next week is Cooper's cancer-versary. I am extremely aware that we already  have had much more time with Cooper than the oncologist predicted. We have decided that if Coop does not eat breakfast tomorrow, we will make an appointment with Dr Duffy.

Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day! May we all enjoy a day of flowers and chocolates.

Don't forget to wear red today. Red reminds me of Danny and the red collar he proudly wore. Time goes by but there are some things you never forget.

Linda's Pack

Danny's foster Mom, Linda F, sent this picture of her 3 gorgeous Goldens. The fourth Golden, is a pup that she was fostering.

This picture made me smile. I can't help but wonder if Linda has the same issue with bed space that we do. When Coop and Otis stretch out, there is never any room.

Second day of school

I am sad to report that the second day of dog training was worse than the first. It seems that Otis has dominance issues. Otis barked constantly at the other dogs and did not want to focus on his handler (Jeff). The trainer said these are signs of a dog who thinks he is in charge, not the owner.  Otis loves food and quickly failed the test of not eating the treat which was thrown in front of him.

Cooper did not do much better. During the 5 minute down, Cooper promptly stood up. The trainer said that you should not physically force the dog down, but stand on the lead (so the dog cannot move) and eventually the dog will lay down.  After 5 long minutes, Coop decided to lay down. I know Cooper is stubborn and this will not be the first test of wills.

When the 45 minute session was over, Jeff and I were both mentally exhausted. I am quickly realizing that Danny's family must have spent many hours training him. I can't imagine ever having Coop or Otis off leash and heeling perfectly as Danny did.

Christmas Tree

Our Christmas tree is now decorated. In order to get the tree into the living room, we had to move some of the furniture out. I love how beautiful the tree looks, especially at night when the lights reflect off the ornaments.

Coop went crazy when we tested the lights. Cooper's eyes nearly popped out of his head when the first strand was plugged in. You could see that Coop was thinking "Holy cow! Bright, shiny, WOW!".

Most of our decorations are by Christopher Radko. I found a large Radko box at the bottom of one of the ornament crates and was so excited. I could not remember what ornaments were in this big box. Imagine my surprise when I opened it and found a single ornament (bottom picture). Jeff suggested hanging it off the ceiling fan, but I found a place on the tree.

Jeff threatened to hide the dog ornaments next year. I always cry when I hang Brandy, Jake and Danny's ornaments and reflect on how much I miss these special pets.  If the bottom of our tree looks sparse, it is because wagging tails often knock the ornaments off.

Danny Remembered

The other day Danny's dog walker, Diane, posted a comment on our blog. I visited her website and there was a photo of our beautiful boy.

Click on the link: Danny

It is nice to know that we are not the only ones who miss this special dog.

Frozen Carrots

I was putting a frozen dinner into the oven and it slipped out of my hand. The dinner landed face down and the plastic covering the frozen vegetable broke. I picked the dinner up and a few carrots fell out.

Before I could clean up the carrots, Coop and Otis raced in and ate them all. Danny loved fresh carrots, but Cooper and Otis refuse to eat them. I don't know if the dogs liked the fact that the carrots were cold and crunchy like ice cubes, or if they thought they were getting something forbidden (my lunch).

Always, Always

It has been 2 years since Danny passed away. The ache in my heart has not eased and I often think about what should have been.

When I step outside on warm sunny days, an image of Danny stretched out on the grass and soaking up the sun immediately comes to mind.

Jeff reminds me that we were lucky to have had such a special dog to share our lives, even if it was for a too brief moment.

When I think about Danny, I often smile, but sometimes I still cry. Today I will mourn a companion who was taken before a lifetime of memories could be made.

I miss you Danny....

Happy Valentine's Day!

Today is Valentine's Day. I hope that everyone wakes up to beautiful roses like these.

My wish is not for jewelry, but rather a Dooney and Bourke handbag. I wonder if Cupid will deliver one to my door?

Valentine's Day red makes me think of Danny and the red collar he wore. Danny's red leash still hangs with his brother's.

Legacy

Today is Danny's birthday. It is hard to believe that Danny has been gone almost as long as he was with us.

Danny was a fantastic dog. "One in a million", Jeff always says.

Danny was a shooting star, whose light burned brightly for a brief moment; extinguished too soon, but his beauty not forgotten.

Our wonderful experience with Danny gave us the courage to adopt a troubled, broken dog like Cooper. It was Danny's foster Mom, Linda, who introduced us to Otis.

I still miss Danny and I think I always will. I find comfort in knowing that Danny's legacy is strong.

October

Falling leaves herald the end of too brief golden summer days. I hear them crackle underfoot as I walk Cooper and Otis along the road and am reminded of Danny.

October is Danny's birth month. One of my favorite memories is of Danny perched upon our stone wall as leaves float slowly to the ground.

A beautiful dog ,a beautiful day, a precious memory .

Fighting Canine Cancer

We received a catalog from Orvis and on the cover was a picture of a beautiful Golden and the caption help fight canine cancer! The cover dog, Dylan, is a cancer survivor.

It seems that Orvis and Eukanuba have teamed up to double canine cancer donations.

For more details, you can go to: Orvis/Eukanuba Canine Cancer Campaign

Having lost Brandy, Jake and Danny to cancer, I can honestly say that this is a cause worth donating to. Coop's battle with cancer is going well, but more research and better treatments are needed.

Our online donation is on its way.

Remembering Danny

It has been one year since Danny passed away and my heart still aches from the loss of this special dog. Not a day goes by that I don't think of Danny. Danny was a beautiful, smart and gentle dog who was easy to love.

Sometimes when I am in the house or yard, I find myself looking for Danny in his favorite places. I know that Silverback (woodchuck) would not be so smug, if Danny were still guarding the yard.

The bush that we planted in Danny's memory is growing big and strong. I look forward to seeing it flower in the fall.

When we adopted Coop, I thought that perhaps we were trying to replace Danny. However, I know that will never happen. My always, always boy will forever be in my heart.

We miss you Danny.

The Longest Night of My Life

On Thursday, May 8th, 2003 I remember getting a call on my drive home. Jake had a seizure and Valerie was frantic. I arrived at home about 30 minutes later to a dazed and confused Jake and a more confused Valerie.

We put Jake in the car and rushed to the after-hours vet clinic. Half way there, he had another seizure and we pulled to the side of the road to comfort him during his agony. The clinic kept him overnight and pumped him full of anti-seizure medicine to stop the convulsions.

We brought him to his regular vet the next day and plotted out a course of action. He would be weaned off the high doses of anti-seizure medication to a point where he was functioning but not having convulsions. As the week drew on, Jake became more aware of his surroundings and we become more and more hopeful.

Hope came to an end on Friday, May 16th. As we finished cleaning up after dinner, Jake had his first seizure since he was on medication. About 60 minutes later, another one longer and more violent than the first. We doubled his dose and made a plan to see the Vet the next day. Then came another, and another. The choice was clear. Jake couldn't even make it up the stairs to go to bed, so we slept with him on the floor that night.

I didn't sleep a wink that night. The choice couldn't have been clearer but it still bothered me. When he was on the table about to take his last breath, he looked up at me with those beautiful brown eyes that said "Thank You Papa."

Six years have gone by and I still see those eyes.

Danny gave me the same look before his passing. I hope to never see it in Cooper.