Abby
A donation was made in memory of Abby on Aug 29, 2009.
Abby
(9/1/97 - 8/12/09)
You started your life in Rochester, NY. You came along and filled the hole in our heart left by your Aunt Ginger. You were all wiggly and excited and full of love. You made us happy again and gave us a purpose we seemed to be missing in life.
When you were 8 months old we drove all the way across the country to your new home in Seattle. When we built our home here on Cougar Mountain you knew it was yours and you got so excited every time we came out to see it to make sure the builder was getting everything right. By the time we moved in you already had the woods and the property line scoped out and you knew what was what and what was yours to keep secure.
For some years you went to work with your Dad framing houses. Being a construction Dog was the best job ever and years later long after our framing days had passed you'd still get excited when you saw a house being built.
You were a party girl and loved meeting people and making new friends. You were certain all those parties over the years were in your honor and everybody had come to see you. And you were right.
You received "babies" from all your friends for your birthdays and Xmas. Every year your basket of kids would overflow until we would have to get you a larger one. You would pull your kids out of the basket in the evening and prance around the family room so full of pride. You were a good little mama in the way you took care of your kids with your constant grooming making sure they were clean and free of fleas.
You traveled practically everywhere with us. We took numerous trips all over the West and well into Canada and always made an effort to find a way to bring you along. You patiently rode in the Sequoia in your Princess Palace and took your place in the RV when we entered that phase of our traveling lives. Every place was new and exciting. New smells and interesting things to see. We never liked leaving you in a kennel and when we couldn't take you we found people you loved to come and stay with you in your house. You most especially came to love your Auntie Stacy who was always happiest when she came to stay with her best friend Abby.
Your smiling face and wagging tail were always there for us when we came through the door. No matter whether we were only gone for 5 minutes or a week.
We were a trio and things weren't quite right if one of us was missing. Through thick and thin we all stuck together. When Dad was sick, You and Mom were there for him. When Mom was sick, You and Dad were there for her. When You were sick, Mom and Dad were there for You.
Right after you turned ten we shared your pain at the loss of your right eye to a small cancerous tumor. We were grateful to still have you and you showed us how to adapt to a handicap. One eye or not, life was still there to be lived and enjoyed and you were still happy.
A year later we thought we were going to lose you when you had that nasty bout of pancreatitis. You were in the hospital for two days and we were so afraid you weren't coming home. You pulled through though and gave us another wonderful year.
Now we sit here with a hole in our heart that you used to fill. We had to let you go yesterday because your heart, that wonderfully big heart of yours, went bad and we couldn't let you be in pain and suffer. You were with us for 12 wonderful years.
We went out before bed last night because that is what we did 4,300 times before. Every night you'd run around the yard to make sure security was good. You see, we couldn't have cats, bunnies, coons, deer, bear, cougars or coyotes just hanging around you know. They had to be chased off back to the woods where they belonged. The yard was yours and you made sure they all knew it. And we cried because we didn't know who was going to do that job anymore.
We came down this morning and went to fix your breakfast because that is what we did 4,300 times before. We reflexively reached for your bowls and we cried when we remembered you weren't there all prancey and excited to start the day.
We went out this morning and patrolled the perimeter of the property because that is what we did 4,300 times before. We patrolled to smell and see who had come through the yard after we had gone to bed. The coyotes were the worst about this and you would bark like crazy if they had been by. We stopped at Abby Rock on the cliff to look over your wooded domain like we had so many times before. We moved up the trail and walked the log and the ramps you loved so much. We built the ramps for you when it got a little too hard to jump up on the log and it helped to ease the pain and embarrassment of getting older. And we cried because you were not with us.
We can't do our chores in the yard properly anymore because there is no supervisor to keep things in order. No one to help with getting the mail, taking the trash out, watering the plants, mowing the grass or anything that needed to be done around the house. And we cried because we're not sure how these things will get done without your support.
How will we enjoy walks in the woods and the beach without having you to watch while you run and caper in enjoyment. All trails led to happiness in your world. There was nothing better than a walk in the outdoors and your excitement when the leash came out infected us too.
Our lives, enriched while you were with us, will be poorer without you. The three of us shared 12 wonderful years of total commitment, love and enjoyment. We cherish every memory and photo of you we have. Oh GOSH, we miss you so much.
Ron & Chandy R.
(9/1/97 - 8/12/09)
You started your life in Rochester, NY. You came along and filled the hole in our heart left by your Aunt Ginger. You were all wiggly and excited and full of love. You made us happy again and gave us a purpose we seemed to be missing in life.
When you were 8 months old we drove all the way across the country to your new home in Seattle. When we built our home here on Cougar Mountain you knew it was yours and you got so excited every time we came out to see it to make sure the builder was getting everything right. By the time we moved in you already had the woods and the property line scoped out and you knew what was what and what was yours to keep secure.
For some years you went to work with your Dad framing houses. Being a construction Dog was the best job ever and years later long after our framing days had passed you'd still get excited when you saw a house being built.
You were a party girl and loved meeting people and making new friends. You were certain all those parties over the years were in your honor and everybody had come to see you. And you were right.
You received "babies" from all your friends for your birthdays and Xmas. Every year your basket of kids would overflow until we would have to get you a larger one. You would pull your kids out of the basket in the evening and prance around the family room so full of pride. You were a good little mama in the way you took care of your kids with your constant grooming making sure they were clean and free of fleas.
You traveled practically everywhere with us. We took numerous trips all over the West and well into Canada and always made an effort to find a way to bring you along. You patiently rode in the Sequoia in your Princess Palace and took your place in the RV when we entered that phase of our traveling lives. Every place was new and exciting. New smells and interesting things to see. We never liked leaving you in a kennel and when we couldn't take you we found people you loved to come and stay with you in your house. You most especially came to love your Auntie Stacy who was always happiest when she came to stay with her best friend Abby.
Your smiling face and wagging tail were always there for us when we came through the door. No matter whether we were only gone for 5 minutes or a week.
We were a trio and things weren't quite right if one of us was missing. Through thick and thin we all stuck together. When Dad was sick, You and Mom were there for him. When Mom was sick, You and Dad were there for her. When You were sick, Mom and Dad were there for You.
Right after you turned ten we shared your pain at the loss of your right eye to a small cancerous tumor. We were grateful to still have you and you showed us how to adapt to a handicap. One eye or not, life was still there to be lived and enjoyed and you were still happy.
A year later we thought we were going to lose you when you had that nasty bout of pancreatitis. You were in the hospital for two days and we were so afraid you weren't coming home. You pulled through though and gave us another wonderful year.
Now we sit here with a hole in our heart that you used to fill. We had to let you go yesterday because your heart, that wonderfully big heart of yours, went bad and we couldn't let you be in pain and suffer. You were with us for 12 wonderful years.
We went out before bed last night because that is what we did 4,300 times before. Every night you'd run around the yard to make sure security was good. You see, we couldn't have cats, bunnies, coons, deer, bear, cougars or coyotes just hanging around you know. They had to be chased off back to the woods where they belonged. The yard was yours and you made sure they all knew it. And we cried because we didn't know who was going to do that job anymore.
We came down this morning and went to fix your breakfast because that is what we did 4,300 times before. We reflexively reached for your bowls and we cried when we remembered you weren't there all prancey and excited to start the day.
We went out this morning and patrolled the perimeter of the property because that is what we did 4,300 times before. We patrolled to smell and see who had come through the yard after we had gone to bed. The coyotes were the worst about this and you would bark like crazy if they had been by. We stopped at Abby Rock on the cliff to look over your wooded domain like we had so many times before. We moved up the trail and walked the log and the ramps you loved so much. We built the ramps for you when it got a little too hard to jump up on the log and it helped to ease the pain and embarrassment of getting older. And we cried because you were not with us.
We can't do our chores in the yard properly anymore because there is no supervisor to keep things in order. No one to help with getting the mail, taking the trash out, watering the plants, mowing the grass or anything that needed to be done around the house. And we cried because we're not sure how these things will get done without your support.
How will we enjoy walks in the woods and the beach without having you to watch while you run and caper in enjoyment. All trails led to happiness in your world. There was nothing better than a walk in the outdoors and your excitement when the leash came out infected us too.
Our lives, enriched while you were with us, will be poorer without you. The three of us shared 12 wonderful years of total commitment, love and enjoyment. We cherish every memory and photo of you we have. Oh GOSH, we miss you so much.
Ron & Chandy R.
