Memories: What one remembers.

They say to leave the past behind, only look ahead. But not every memory left behind is bad. It’s good to remember the good times, the things that make us smile. Memories can bring joy and laughter to our lives. “Remember when…?” we’ll say, then tell the story. We all have them. What are yours?

I’d like to share some stories with you about my rescues and what they liked about summer. Three went to The Rainbow Bridge and one is with me now. Though they couldn’t be more different, they are all my little angels and I love them equally.

My first-born Joshua, my Sammy, was the runt of his litter and not as big as your typical Samoyed. Where he lacked size, he made up for it in personality. He was a very vocal, energetic, and fun-loving social butterfly. He loved to mingle and talk to everyone.

One would never think that a Samoyed would like water, but Josh loved it. Our summers were always camping, fishing, or sailing on my Hobie Cat. Going for rides to the lake, and running up and down the sandy shoreline was exhilarating for him.

His favorite pastime of all was playing soccer, and we never went anywhere without his soccer ball. I regret not having any pictures of him dribbling that ball, but I sure do have a lot of great memories playing with him at Sugar House Park. And it wouldn’t be summer if we didn’t treat ourselves at McDonald’s to “a small fry and a vanilla ice cream cone, please.”

My second-born, Skip Thomas, the Lab/Australian Shepherd, was quite the character, too. He was our swimmer, our “Splash Dawg.” From the day we brought him home, we couldn’t keep him out of the water. Floaties, frisbees, you name it, if it went into the water, so did he to fetch it. We went through a few life jackets with that one.

Skip was one of our rescues that was not afraid of fireworks or thunderstorms. He welcomed any opportunity to sit outside and watch the sky light up. He could be found on the back porch in a downpour watching the lightning. On the 4th of July, we’d sit on the golf course and watch the fireworks.

My frisbee playin’ swimmer was also a runner and had to be supervised without a leach or we’d never see him again. We spoiled him, as we do with all our fur babies. The stories we write in the Skip Thomas Adventures children’s books are the true events that happened in his short life span. He was our little boy.

My third-born, Bear, was a very special Australian Shepherd. He was already around eight years old, or so we thought, when we found him in Ephraim Canyon. He had a very hard life as a herding dog, and we welcomed him into our home to give him love, comfort, and rest for his retirement years.

Summers for Bear were ones of exploring and discovery. Riding in the car or the back of Pop’s pick-up was always an adventure waiting to happen. He loved to go trail hiking and walking in the streams. Our walks on the golf course every night were some of the most rewarding times we spent with him.

We never knew how or why Bear was abandoned in the mountains, but the summer of 2010 was a God send to all of us. He was the most loyal, gentle, well behaved, and appreciative dog I’ve ever had. A warm bed, a toy, and a bowl of food and water were the comforts of home for Bear that he never had.

My fourth-born, Tuco, is an inheritance from some people that couldn’t keep him. He is our most challenging of the rescues; a Pocket-Bully by birth and a little boy trapped inside. We are learning about this breed as he grows up with us. At this writing, he is twenty months old and this is his second summer with us.

We are so happy Tuco loves the outdoors as much as we do. He’s not much of a water dog, though we bought him a life jacket just in case. Our travels with him so far have been awesome. He loves to go camping with the motorhome. His biggest thrill right now is riding with Pop in the RZR. He has his own goggles and seat belt to keep him safe.

He loves his walks and making new friends along the way. Those short little legs of his get him tired quickly but don’t let that fool you, he can run faster than a jack rabbit when he wants to.

He looks forward to chasing bubbles and playing in the sprinklers when it’s hot. Also, getting his monthly Super Chewer Bark Box keeps him extremely happy. (I told you we spoil our kids.) Fireworks don’t frighten this little guy either. It’s nice that we can all enjoy the 4th of July together.

So, there you have it for now. These are just a few of my summer memories with my loveable canines. I hope your summers are filled with happy memories as well.

Until next time, God bless and stay safe.

Skip’s mom, Cb