Memorial

I probably shouldn't start out my blog with such sad news, but I wanted to set up a memorial section for a very important being that left my life on August 1, 2008. His name was Jack (Jack dog, Jackson, Jackster, Jack be Nimble, Jack in the Box, Jack A Roni) you name it, we loved him. He entered our life when he was about 4 months old. We had just lost our two other dogs named Brandy and Bear earlier in the year and I swore there would be no more. Brandy was about 15 and Bear was about 13 years of age. They shared our lives for a good long time. I didn't want to go through the heartache of losing another pet so I decided I wouldn't adopt another dog.

My husband and I had traveled to Hawaii for a niece's wedding. Upon our return, our son met us at the door and said he had a surprise for us....knowing David, that could mean anything. So I braced myself. I was lead outside to the back yard and there on the deck stood the cutest little brown puppy with the most beautiful eyes. The minute I laid eyes on him, he stole my heart. My son said that he was going to keep him and when he moved out he would take him with him. Well the fact of the matter was, at 20 years old, moving out to a first apartment, much less finding an apartment that would allow pets, how was he going to take care of a dog!! I decided then and there that I would take responsibility for Jack.

Jack became my companion when I owned an antique store. He was the official greeter. I had a set of dutch doors at the front of the shop. People knew that when the bottom door was shut Jack was in the building. Many people would come by just to say hi to Jack. He became well known in the little town that we had our business in.

Jack was a "purebred" mix. He was part lab and part pitbull (some say he almost looked part rhodesian ridgeback). He was best natured dog. He was very patient, even when the grandkids started popping up in the family. They were curious about this 100 pound dog laying around in their midst. They would crawl up on him, pull his ears, lift his lips to see his teeth, grab his tags, use him as a step stool to get up on the couch. He didn't flinch when they were near. His favorite place was under the table so he could catch the crumbs as they fell; talk about a good vacuum cleaner.

He loved our fruit trees. We could always tell when the figs and apricots were ripe when Jack would spend lots of time under the trees or up on his hind legs with his head in the branches. He would pick the first fruits and eat them, careful not to eat the pit.

Jack lived for 9 years. With a pain in my heart on August 1, 2008, I had to let him go. We miss him so much. I know that he is in a place where all endeared pets who have preceded him go. He is there with Bear, Brandy, Madison, Sheba and Charlie. He is running free and without pain, until we are reunited again.