Linda and I have been cleaning out the garage for the past few weeks and in doing so, I came across some old boxes of negatives and slides that I haven't seen in almost 15 years. Today, I started going through them, sorting out the stuff I wasn't ruthless enough to toss 15 years ago. As I sorted, I found some priceless photos of my/our dogs. I'd like to share some of them with you.
First up is Bernadette the St. Bernard.
Bernadette was my first dog -- I never had one as a child. She came into a Rescue Facility where I was volunteering at about a year of age and once I saw her, I fell in love. She loved and respected our cat, Sandford. She was 185 lbs. of sweet and gentle. She lived to be 13 years old, remarkable for a Saint. And I'm sure that today, she is a Saint.
When Linda and I first moved down to Orlando from Hamden, Connecticut in 1989, we brought with us out two Golden Retrievers, Harvey and Molly, the yuppie puppies. In 1996, when these pictures were taken, Harvey was 12 years old and Molly was 11. Here's Harvey Garvie:
And his sister, Molly:
A week after these pictures were taken, Molly passed away from hemangiocarcoma. She was one of the sweetest girls I've ever known. And after she left us, Harvey was just devastated. Here's a shot I took of him a few weeks later and in it, he's really showing his age.
That's when we decided that he -- and we -- needed another puppy and that puppy was our first Rottie, Annie Fay.
Here's a picture of Annie the first day she arrived in Orlando from Buffalo, NY.
Somewhere I have pictures of Harvey wearing Annie like a cape when she first came into the house. He became like a puppy again and for Annie, he was her true Alpha male. Harvey lived to be 15 years old and, when he left us, his coat had turned pure white. But during those years with Annie, he helped her deliver and nurse two litters of puppies and became the model of behavior for Rowdy. Harvey was my first puppy and the dog that taught me all about aging with dignity and grace. I miss him -- and the others -- every day.
Jim
