After eight long weeks, we received a call from Linda saying that we could come pick up our Cozy. We found her just inside the front door of Linda’s house, all puffed up from being freshly washed and blown dry. There is nothing quite like a Newf puppy, especially as we would soon discover, a fluffy clean one. She looked like a stuffed animal magically brought to life that easily seemed twice as big as she had been the week before. She still had her silver-grey eyes and her mischievous little face just seem to scream Play with me!, while also showing just a hint of nervousness. She still had blue around her neck and was living proof that the word adorable is an inadequate representation of the truth where puppies are concerned. (more…)
Category: Dogs
Cozy Tales: 2. A Pup Chooses Us
As the weeks went on, the pups grew and grew, progressing from the little black potatoes we first saw into fluffy bright balls of energy hell bent on discovering, chewing, and otherwise making a mess of everything with which they came in contact.
We went back often to play with the pups and watch them grow. Since the pups would be ready to leave their mothers at eight weeks of age, time was running out for us to make our choice. Since all of the male pups were spoken for, we were excited to learn that we had the pick of the four females in the litter. This narrowed our listed choices down to two: the blue and the white collared puppies. They were both very energetic and both seemed very bright, but how to choose? (more…)
Cozy Tales: 1. Indoctrination
The year was 1997; Bill Clinton had just started his second term as president of the United States, O.J. Simpson had been found liable for the deaths of Ron Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson in civil court, and the Comet Hale-Bopp made its closest visit to Earth spawning hoards of amateur astronomers — myself included — to stay up all night gazing at its beautiful tail. J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was published. Diana, Princess of Wales was killed in a car accident, Mother Theresa died, the first color photo appeared on the cover of the New York Times, and James Cameron’s film Titanic was released to become the largest grossing movie in history.
It was a different world than the one we live in now. The attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City were still years away, and we were all blissfully unaware that such a horrific event could transpire on American soil. (more…)
Cozy Tales: Prelude
As I stood over the freshly dug grave, I had no way of knowing the awful truth: my father had killed my dog. So far as I knew, my beloved Saint Bernard dog, Brandy, had snapped at him, supposedly because she was in pain. Because of this most heinous of crimes, and in accordance with the initial conditions of her purchase, my father had issued the order and had my dog “put to sleep”. Sadly, and unbeknownst to me at the time, none of what he had described had actually happened.
I was an only child, and Brandy had been my best friend for nine years. We had bought her in 1973 when I was in third grade, after which she had remained my constant companion until her untimely death in the spring of 1982. I was 17 years old when the doctor gave her the fatal injection in the back seat of our car. I was sitting with her when she collapsed, her massive head falling into my lap. I ran my hands over her lifeless face, recalling the vet’s words about involuntary muscle contractions as I watched my dead friend swallowing again and again during the ride home. Perhaps, I wondered, there was wonderful cool water to drink in heaven. (more…)
Image of a Hero
This picture is of my friend, Mike Stevens. Mike has worked tirelessly for decades as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). He has regaled me with stories both heartwarming and horrifying over the years, but somehow when I saw this picture on Facebook, I got a sudden, clear image of what it must be like to be a first responder with a big heart.
This is a tragic tale, told here, of a fire that devastated the lives of an already disrupted family. The story is heartbreaking in every sense, and the sadness must be overwhelming for everyone involved. In the midst of the fire, the heroics, and the drama, the image of a man trying to resuscitate a little dog stands out. Mike has saved countless lives in his career as an EMT, and has no doubt seen many fade away as well. The image of him trying to save this little dog, though, really shows what kind of man he is. (more…)
Annie and the Antenna Muffins
I’m going to let you in on a little secret about me. Actually, I’m going to reveal two, but only because both secrets are germane to the tale. The first secret isn’t very scandalous, and it’s probably not much of a secret either, but I’ve been bearing the burden of this boring secret for too long, and so the truth must be revealed. You see, I like bran muffins.
Shameful, I know.
Being the quirky, pain-in-the-ass, control freak that I am, I will not settle for just any bran muffins. The bran muffins I demand are made by our local supermarket chain, ShopRite. I should also mention that of all the ShopRites I’ve ever visited, only one makes bran muffins the way I like them. Did I mention that I’m a quirky control-freak who is also a pain-in-the-ass? Check with my wife. She will confirm every last bit of that last compound-adjective-laden sentence. (more…)
Mr. Beepers and the Fortress of Solitude
Mr. Guinness is a very brave boy. For example, he has scared off hundreds of very dangerous bicyclists from the road in front of our house. His fence is probably 150 feet from the road and the cyclists don’t even know they’re being barked at, let alone by whom. But he barks, and then they’re gone, so clearly he scared them away. For these and other acts of bravado, we award Guinness with constant commendations for bravery befitting a proper Newfoundland dog.
In other words, we tell him to shut up about thirty times a day. (more…)
Annie and the Pizza
As you may know, Fridays evenings are sacrosanct in our house, because that’s when we have Pizza and Movie Night™. If you’ve read my previous tales, then you may already be smirking. For those of you who haven’t committed all my previous tales to memory, I’ll just say that the last time I wrote about Pizza and Movie Night™, the story did not end well. Shocking, I know.
Sure, you may have laughed at my misfortune in the past, and I’m sure many of you have sided with the beast, but this time… oh this time I had her dead to rights. This time I knew that I had her outsmarted, and naturally, that’s why it all went wrong. (more…)
Cozy’s Birthday
Fourteen years ago today, on August 3rd, 1997, My Cozy was born. She died eight short years later, her body having finally succumbed to the ravages of cancer. In those eight years she changed the lives of a young married couple and their two children. Cozy was the inspiration for Newf.net, where her legacy continues today. Through Newf.net, thousands of people have learned how to better care for their Newfs. In her own small way, Cozy changed the world.
I promised Cozy that I would write her story, and I did. Now I need to tell the world. That part has proven harder than I thought, but it will happen. You’ll see Cozy. I know you’re patient.
Cozy always waited for me, no matter how long it took, and she knew that I would always come back home. No one waits for me at the fence these days, even though there are new noses that eagerly sniff me when I walk through the door. Somehow, though, I know that Cozy is waiting for me somewhere.
I hope you’re happy and pain free Cozy, My Cozy, wherever you may be. I miss you baby girl. We all do.
Annie the Protector
My daughter, Colleen, got a tent for Christmas. I have no idea what a 10-year old needs with a tent, but who am I to argue with Santa?
After receiving her tent, Colleen waited patiently for summer. Actually, I may have misused the word “patiently” in that sentence. I’ll let you be the judge. Here’s how I would describe the six months between Christmas and the events in this story: (more…)