10 Yrs

[MP_the4pack]

Ten years ago today, I was blindsided with the loss of my first greyhound, Brindle. She seemed fine that morning, and was gone that night. Hemangio of the spleen claimed her. She was 8 yrs old.

 

 

She was my 40th birthday present to myself.

 

I had seen a TV newscast back in the late 70's where there was a rescue of greyhounds from an abandoned farm in Fla. Most were dead, the rest just a living bags of bones. As I watched it, I told my Mom that when I get my own house someday, I'm going to rescue one of those dogs.

 

In 1993, I got my house. In 1995, remembering what I saw decades earlier, I actually went to the White Pages of the phone book to look for greyhound rescue. Believe it or not I found one.

I put my application in asking only that it was a dark female. (my thinking was that dark hairs on light colored clothing didn't show up as much as white fur on dark clothing. )

 

So a day before my 40th BD, I went to pick up my first greyhound. My first dog as my own, not the family dog. Being a red and black brindle and I had planned to call her Cayenne (as in red pepper) but the word "brindle" kept coming out of my mouth. So, instead of confusing her, I named her Brindle.

 

This was before I had anything digital, so all my pix are on film or paper. This is what I have on photobucket:

Doing the agility table

 

Doing what greyhounds do best

 

Learning the A frame in agility

 

Taking a jump

 

I couldn't have asked for a better first dog. She was a quiet lady. But loved her Momma very much. I had many dreams of her afer she died. And in all but the last one, I did not remember that she was gone and just treated her as if she'd always been around. It was the last dream that I remembered she died. I gave her a huge hug, cried and told her how much I missed her. I haven't dreamed of her since.

 

-Brindle had the brightest eyes I have ever seen, so expressive, if I left her with someone for a moment, they told me later she followed me with her eyes until I was out of sight. Then stared in that direction until I reappeared.

-She would hold conversations with me. She would just have to look at me and I would answer "what?". Her responses would start off almost silent then procede to get louder.

-When I would get into the car after each errand, she would wait for her cookie. I could tease her and ask if she wanted it. She would always answer with a silent bark.(mouth moved, nothing came out)

-She would almost always sleep with me. On cold nights, she would end up cuddling close.

-She always waited for an invite onto the bed.

-She loved the doggie pool, was the first to go into it

-When she found a good smell, she would sniff it so much that there would be none left for other dogs.

-She was a big marker. Worse than the boys.

-She would come running to me from the back yard when guests came over to make sure I knew there was someone there. She was always so excited to have company.

-She loved to play yoo-hoo with me. (doggie version of hide and seek)

-Sometimes while driving (more in the early years) she would stand over my shoulder watching intently where we were going. A classic back seat driver.

She understood: sit, down, go lay down, speak, high five, gimme four, belly rub, time for toenails, cookies, treats, biscuits, ice cream (she loved ice cream), couch, bed, out of the kitchen,outside, pool, mouse, boo-boo, ear mush, bye bye, car, ride, walk, canal, toy, bone. She had quite the vocabulary.

-When people would come over she would instantly flop over for a belly rug.

-People at M&G got quite the kick out of her as she would just lay down and sleep during all the commotion.

-She had fantastic gorgeous thick fur, no bald spots except for the scars on her side.

-She loved the outdoors. She would sunbath all day in nice weather.

-Many times I would wake up in the morning and be facing her. Her head was on the other pillow and she would be facing me.

-In the early days I used to call her Snoozy Suzy because she slept so much. Most of her life I called her Demandodog, because she was very demanding in wanting stuff. Of course I usually caved in and gave her what she asked for.

-She was so delicate in taking treats that most of the times she dropped it.

-She would have spontaneous/unpredictable puppy uppers where she would just get an explosion of energy and act like a puppy.

-At M&Gs when people would ask me if greyhounds bark, I would turn to Brindle and say "did you hear that, you don't bark" at which she would promptly speak. I did not teach her to do that, she did it spontaneously on her own.

 

Brindle, baby, you may have been gone for 10 yrs now, but you're still in my heart and I still miss you dearly.

[Guest greytbookert]

[carronstar]

They do just burrow in there and stay with us, don't they. Brindle sounds wonderful and she was definitely gorgeous.

[Time4ANap]

She was a gorgeous girl. You have great memories of her time with you.

 

 

[Yamaha_gurl]

What a beauty Do you remember her racing name?

[racindog]

A beautiful remembrance for a beautiful lady! Thank you for sharing.

 

"For love is as strong as death....

Many waters cannot quench love, nor can the floods drown it.

If a man would give for love all the wealth of his house, it would be utterly despised."

-Song of Solomon 8:6-7

 

"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.

What we have enjoyed we can never lose…All that we love deeply becomes a part of us."-Helen Keller

Edited November 16, 2011 by racindog

[MarcR]

Brindle was a beautiful and clearly very special, very much loved girl. I share the pain of sudden loss.

[MP_the4pack]

What a beauty Do you remember her racing name?

 

 

CM Bobbie Lou. She is on the greyhound database.

[grey14me]

[Guest ss556]

Mary Pat, hugs to you. What a special and beauty Brindle was and how lucky to have had you.

I also know the pain of the suddeness of their death, as that is what took my Alan from me. But she will always be a part of you.

[Remolacha]

[greyhead]

{{{{Mary Pat}}}} So much love.

[Guest bethac]

Mary Pat, thanks for sharing stories about Brindle. I am so glad that you followed through on your dream and that Brindle was such a special girl for you.

[dante2zoe]

Thank you for sharing your beautiful girl with us. What a great birthday gift. The gift that keeps on giving.

[sabrina]

[NancyB]