Starting Again

In about two weeks Susan and I will be going out to Reading Pa. with our friends Jill and Erika to pick out our new Golden puppy. It has been a long time since Flynn has died and I am so looking forward to a new member of our household. Being the slow time of the year at the studio makes it a good time to get some fundmentals out of the way like housebreaking and basic language responses like 'sit and 'come'. As I get older I feel less and less like I want to be outside in the cold. I guess that's why so many people live in Miami, but since I never really like coldness to begin with it seems to be exacerbated with age. What would it have been like if we actually had mountains in South Jersey so perhaps some winter activities might have tempered these feelings? I just don't like all the preparations that are required to live in cold climates. Layers of clothing, winterizing the house, driving with nuts on ice, keeping food in stock(just in case a glacier forms over us for the month of February) and because of my career choice, loading kilns in the winter w/o gloves and arthritic hands. So you may have thought this rant was deviating from the first line but let me tie it together. Our new Golden will ease all the whines that I have by offering a total distraction to these undesirables. And I must point out that I feel so strongly about the fact that our dog will be a Golden retriever and this will make it better. I know many dogs that are wonderful, my brother in law has a Chocolate Lab that is a true sweetheart, I had a Chocolate Lab once that was as well. I have known mixed breeds that were sweet and I know many owners with other breeds that were great but after our 6 years with Flynn, I don't want to even try to switch. My fascination with Goldens goes back to teen years when a good friend, Chip had one that went everywhere with him. His name was Sarge and he just seemed like Chip's best friend. Other friends have since raised Goldens with equally similar stories. Flynn went to work with me everyday, He rode in with Susan and came home with me. He was always there when either Susan and I were not with each other so there was always a connection and I always felt a sense of protection. So now as the great chill settles in some gentle warmth will sustain us when we add to our family. Our kids have moved away, our last pet, our cat, died a few months back so we are starting again. I am a firm believer in 'you get out of a pet what you put into it.' I look forward to investing in our new dog not as a replacement for Flynn but as a replacement for cold winters in South Jersey