Saturday, June 14, 2014

Caledonia's You Don't Know Jack (2001 - 2014)

My sweet Jack. I have so many gems of memory with you.  Now that you are no longer with us, my mind keeps sweeping for those gems, to help fill the gap you have left in our home.  We certainly have fuller hearts because of you.  There was no sweeter puppy than you.

In 2001 we had Austin with us, and I got this idea that he needed a playmate.  His buddy Bo a couple houses down moved away. And all the other dogs at the dog park just barked and barked at him because he was so big - nobody wanted to play with him.  So I decided to “borrow” a mastiff for the weekend.  The breeder thought I was crazy, but said “Sure - you can have Jack.”  And there you were, at the fence, 8 months old, big clumsy body and small goofy looking head, bouncing and happy and silly and so so so eager for attention. I put you in my truck and brought you home and you guys hit it off.  I “borrowed” you another time, and then asked if I could keep you over the whole Christmas break.  Their response was, “Yeah, we can’t figure out why you keep bringing him back!”  You weren’t going to be show quality, so they were just going to keep you as a kennel dog I guess.  So I took you home to be part of our family.

Once you figured out that you were going to stay, and that we were “yours” you became such a shy baby.  I think you were concerned that someone would take you back to the kennel yard (?) and so you stuck close to us like we were Velcroed. So loving, so eager for cuddles.  Austin sort of bullied you, you were such a softy.  Sorry about that.  We’d take you to the vet and you’d break out in hives (we’d have to give you benadryl).  I screwed up one July 4th and took you too close to a bottle rocket; you were terrified of fire works and thunderstorms for years and years afterward (we’d have to give you beer every July 4th to help keep you calm).

Such a goof you were.  I’ll never forget that one Christmas, as I was prepping and cooking all day for Tag’s office party, and the (raw!) pork tenderloin “went missing.”

Always so loving.  I could lay on you and snuggle with you and you’d let me (Austin never would).  You let our babies crawl on you and tug on your face.  You’d shove your big clumsy head between our knees to greet us and “hug” us (“Hide your face!”).

You loved the park and going for walks.  You’d get so excited in the back yard when we were getting ready to walk that you’d spin huge wild rhino circles (always thought you’d end up taking out my knee…).  Even to the end, you’d walk as far as you could through the field…

Thank you for loving us so fully and innocently.  Thank you for forgiving our human errors.  For greeting us every time we walked in the door, whether we appreciated it at the time or not.  Thank you for your kisses.  Your warm soft ears.  The unabashed love in your deep brown eyes.  As Tag held your head in his lap, he remarked on how you were “sweet up to the very last second.”


We love you Jack.






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