Thanks guys.
Chopper lived for that next boat ride. Loved being on the water, not in it! She could care less about birds and retrieving. But God help you if you were small and furry.
Tuff as nails dog. Many times sitting in the boat with a paw full of hooks and not a whimper. Just patiently waiting for you to take them out.
Not the smartest dog, but when she learned a lesson, it was for life. She loved to ride right up on the bow, kinda like in the photo above. Nose in the air, tail wagging. That is until one night running up river she went overboard. At first we thought we had hit a log and just kept going. Arriving at the ramp we realized we were missing one passenger! Man, that was a freaky night. But we found her on shore about where we had “hit the log.” Nothing but a big knot on her hind end. Needless to say, that was the last time she rode the bow!
Off the water at home she was one mean looking guard dog. I can only guess how many times the riff-raff were turned away by the sight of her coming up to the sliding glass door. Never did have anything stolen from my yard or house in all of those years. Thanks buddy!
Into her later years I would swear she could read my mind. I’d just do the ol’ Jedi Mind trick on her and she’d come walking over. Real hard knowing she could read my mind yesterday. I’m pretty sure she knew it was her last day. She looked at me funny when the steak came off the grill and into her bowl. Why are ya doing that? You always eat first look on her face.
We took that long ride in the pickup. Her nose still eagerly searching for a new smell out of the window….just not much wag left in her tail. Real tuff to say goodby. Let’s just hope there are plenty of furry critters for her to chase around up there until we can meet again…..
-J.