Icky – 2007

Your mommies and your sisters, especially Gracie, miss you immensely. You were the consummate child belonging to all of us, and not having you has left a huge hole in our hearts. Since you left, we have reminisced about your life, your endearing personality and the joy you brought to our lives.

When we first got you, you were a roly poly boxer puppy. We remember our attempts to walk with you through Noe Valley, and you were so cute, and so wiggly, that we had to hide you in a bag to get anywhere. We thought about the first time you figured out you could run faster than we could, and how we chased you around the Serene Lakes development for three days. We remember how you were not going to be a dog that got on the furniture, but somehow over the early months you spent with us, you first managed to worm your way onto the couches, and finally the big bed, where you happily slept with your mommies until you decided, in later years, it was more comfortable to sleep by yourself on the couch. We recall how you used to cry and whine if one of your sisters was sleeping on the couch when it was time for you to go to bed, and you would continue crying until your sister got off the couch.

We remember Big Red Bunny Thunder, the consummate bunny chaser, and the day at Bunny Wilson that was a fourteen bunny day – by bunny fourteen, you were running about 10 feet after the bunny. We remember all of our work colleagues, and friends of our work colleagues, who thought you were the best dog around – many folks volunteered to take care of you, and day care was never an issue until we started keeping the rotten shorthairs. We tried to tell all of these folks that the reason you were the best dog around is because you really were not a dog at all – I think some of these folks actually understood that concept, but only because of you and your charming ways.

We remember how much you grew to love your puppy, Gracie, and how tolerant you were of her – actually, too tolerant, since she chewed your face into a scarred mess. Then again, you used to yip incessantly at Gracie until she would play with you, so who was really the puppy? You always loved the foster puppies, and were the first to welcome them into the house, especially by playing with them.

We remember what a trooper you were – by the time we built in the mountains, you already had significant spinal arthritis, but you happily walked the long summer walks and the fun winter walks – and so long as we helped tromp a snow path, you were always willing to go. You loved Serene Lakes – it was cool (nothing is better than snow, right), it was interesting and lots of folks came over to visit with you. You always showed your visitors how thrilled you were to see them again – including a good knee licking if shorts were the worn apparel.

When your mommies would separate in walks or runs, for whatever reason, you were the only kid that could not decide which mommy to go with – you ran back and forth wishing that the mommies would stay in the same place. You clearly loved and needed both mommies equally, just like both your mommies loved and continue to love you immensely.

There is a special place in our hearts that you will always occupy. Words cannot express how sad we are that you have left our lives – we only gain comfort in the fact that you stayed with us for almost thirteen years, you lived your life fully, and no one has any regrets over the quality of the time we spent together. Dog speed Icky.