February 21, 2013

I have been rattling this blog around in my head for a couple of days now and it is time to put it to paper so to speak.

Oliver hanging out at Blue River, favorite spot ever, you are not leaving without me!

In a couple of days it will a year of my Oliver passing over the rainbow bridge.  Some days it seems like just yesterday and some days it seems forever and I am forgetting what he looked like. Which is almost impossible as he is my wallpaper on my computer and I have countless pictures of him around the house. He was my perfect big lump of lab.  And yes he was perfect, before we got him someone loved and trained him well.  I know everyone says that their dog is perfect, but Ollie truly was.  He was named after the British Actor Oliver Reed, which not too many people know of.  His last movie was Gladiator, he was the top selling actor in Britain in the 60's and played Bill Sykes in "Oliver!" When he wasn't being the bad guy and drinking his face off in the pubs he was the perfect gentle-man, and that was my Oliver.

Oliver had lots of adventures the short time he was with me, he got to stay at Jasper Park Lodge twice, which not too many people can brag about. He got to go to Blue River and hang out at a hippy dippy pizza joint where he could even sit with mine on the patio while I had my lunch. He went to Tofino and as much as I had visions of him swimming in the ocean, he had his own ideas about that.  I will remember this to the end of my time - he ran up to the water's edge all excited and proceeded to take a big gulp of water. If you don't think a dog can make a face, boy are you wrong. He steered clear of the ocean after that. It wasn't until we got to Powell River about a week later that he ventured to take another drink in a creek!   He was the star of his off leash area and everyone loved him and when something happened they always responded with "that wasn't OUR Oliver" was it!  He was notorious for stealing mitts, sometimes right off your hand, and in a way that you didn't even notice until you saw him running down the path with it in his mouth.

When I lost him I thought that my world would end!  I would actually hear him in the house and would go looking for him.  But things happen in mysterious ways.  In April I went to a SCARS adoption event and met Harry.  What attracted him to me was his little pink nose, which Oliver had. He didn't have a black nose like more yellow labs, except in the summer when it was tanned.  In fact Harry looked a little like a miniature Oliver.  I went home and cried the whole weekend.  My other half on Monday said go and get him, the house is way to quiet without a dog and I can't stand that you crying all the time. Thinking that it was way too early to get another dog I went to his fantastic Foster Parents and fell in love all over with him, and he came home with me.  He hated getting into the car, most SCARS dogs are petrified of cars, that lasted about a week, now he jumps in even if I getting groceries out of the car, he always want to go for a car ride.

Tattoo of Oliver`s actual foot print I got a week before he left us - it is on my left foot which the side your heart is one and now he walks with me forever

We tell Harry about his big brother all the time - "why can't you be more like Oliver", "Oliver never did this". Well he isn't Oliver he is Harry and and puppy, he was 6 months when we got him and Ollie was 5 years when he found me.  I am also convinced that Oliver found Harry for us.  There are pictures that I have that people have to ask whether that is Oliver or Harry.  But we also tell him the good things that he has in common with his big brother - loves to lick the pot of left over mashed potatoes, loves to swim in the creek on a hot summers day, loves his walks (although we are still working on not pulling) and love to have company come over.

And this is my Harry, hanging out in his favorite place,on the couch with his momma

The one big difference is that Harry plays hard and rough and sometimes has a little booboo or a nick, if that was Oliver off to the vet I would go, but having a second dog is like having a second child, the arm has to be hanging off before we go to the doctor!

I miss my Ollie everyday, but Harry adds so much laughter to our lives that I am sure that Oliver approves because he picked him out for us!

February 6, 2013

Hope everyone is enjoying this wonderful early February weather, although we can do without the snow that keeps falling every time it warms up!

Now that the warm weather is here for a while, the off leash is busier then ever.  When it was -30 often it was just Harry and I out and about.  I swear this dog has Teflon paws, he is never cold, and we are home from our walks he just wants to stay outside some more, CRAZY!

Anyway back to the off leash, for the most part everyone in our off leash is great and all the dogs get along just fine.  Then there are those people and some dogs for that matter that just have to be the "hall monitor", you know the type, the dog ones bark at all the dogs that run past them or go up and bark while they are playing....it is quite funny, it is like,,,,you there no running or shouting in the halls!  Then there are the people hall monitors, that not only don't let their dog have any fun what so ever, don't like to see others having fun.  We were down on Saturday and Harry and his best girl Maybelle were playing, she is the best dog, a cute basset hound that just loves Harry.  And they play hard! Harry will roll her, she will grab him and try to role him, they bark and growl at each other, grabbing fur and whatever else they can find.  Well up comes this woman who seems to be appalled at this. Now bear in mind that Maybelle's Dad and I are watching this and laughing so hard we are practically falling down, she dives in the middle of it and tries to separate the two dogs, not matter how much we are telling her it is alright.  Mind your own business, do you think we would intentionally let our dogs at each other if they were hurting each other.  This is the exact same woman who will not let her dog play with the other dogs and if she tries a stop is put to it , not now but right now!

Then there are the people that just love to watch their dogs play with all the others, it is nothing but harmless fun and for the most part everyone comes away in one piece.  Thank goodness Harry has almost grown out of running up to small dogs and puppies and rolling them, great fun for him and the puppy not so much for me and the other owners.  But then the puppies just love it and for the most part come running back for more!

And don't even get me started on those people that bring toys to the off leash and stomp off in a huff when another dog, who shall rename nameless but first name begins with Harry tries to steal the toy.  This is why God invented sticks in the off leash, they belong to no one and everyone is happy playing with them!