Critter Alley

Critter Alley

Monday, June 20, 2011

Dogs I Have Known

Over the weekend, I started to work on organizing boxes and bags of photos. They've been in storage in my basement for a while, having been collected from my mom's house and then later on, my aunt's.

It really is fun to sort through old pictures. The images trigger so many memories. My daughter laughed when she discovered that I could "name that pet" from every photo over the years. Missy, Boots, Peggy, Rags, Freckles, Blackie, Spottie, Chloe, Kishka, Schatzi, Ebony. They were all so special.

Looking at those sweet furry faces made the warmest feelings flood through me. The connection to each one of them seemed so vivid I could almost feel soft fur under my fingers...a gentle nudge against my arm...the wag of a familiar tail. No, I couldn't forget their names no matter how long ago they left this earth for the Rainbow Bridge.

I found a photo that marked the beginning of my canine love affair. I'm cradling my very first puppy. She was a black cocker spaniel, sweet as could be and I couldn't have been happier. It's hard to realize that this delicious moment occurred well over 50 years ago. Oh, and by the way...her name was Missy.

















Could loving animals be a part of our genetic makeup, like blonde hair or blue eyes? If my family is any indication, I'd say we definitely have a critter-loving gene. Here's my grandmother, circa 1925, holding a chubby beagle pup.



















From childhood, through adolescence, young adulthood, middle age, and beyond, I didn't really need the pictures to remind me that dogs have always been a big part of my life. And like any other family member or good friend, my dogs have helped to make each moment so much sweeter.

9 comments:

Lisa Ricard Claro said...

Oh, Pat, I couldn't agree with you more! I believe you may be right about genetics playing a part. I have literally never lived without a dog in my home, except for very brief periods from losing an old furry friend to adopting a new one. I can't imagine life without my hairy kids.

Linda O'Connell said...

Pat,
You look just like your grandma. My fur babies lsitened better than my children and brought me so much joy.

Frankie Furter and Ernie said...

Oh thank you fur taking us back to see and hear about the fur folks that you have known. SIGH!!!

We DO make life worth remembering don't we?

Arran, Arthur and Mum said...

Fabulous post. I agree, that is must be something in our nature, I couldn't imagine me being me without something furry beside me.
Thank you for sharing your memories.

Unknown said...

Interesting concept about genes and a predisposition to loving animals. Genes are responsible for so many of the traits we have, I see no reason this wouldn't be one of them. Sweet article. I love the old photos.

~Marlene

Lynn said...

Great post and great pics! So Sweet!

Tammy said...

You may be onto something. My parents had their own list of beloved names they could always recite. Sweet, sweet post.

Cat and DOG Chat With Caren said...

those old photos are priceless! Thanks for sharing!

Pup Fan said...

Great stroll down memory lane. :)