A Celebration of Skye
Skye was special. She looked you in the eye and held your gaze. She connected. She was gentle with children and everything. She never had an accident, ever. Yet she could be a bully with Toby, Abner and other dogs. She was the only female in a litter of seven so she learned to be tough. She was the only dog I have owned that caught squirrels. She caught at least two. One day she came around the corner of the garage with the tail of a squirrel hanging out of her mouth. I let her finish her meal. The second time I witnessed her grab another poor squirrel in our back yard. I yelled, “Drop!” She did. The squirrel ran for his life. After that the squirrels lost their taste, I suppose. She tried less. Yard lizards never had a chance. Skye was disappointed when they quit ‘playing’. Despite being tough, when we got her the little daughters of the breed called her ‘Miss Prissy’.
Then there was the coyote who came to our back yard to eat figs from our tree, Skye’s fig tree. One day the coyote and Skye were facing each other off. Skye meant to play. The coyote had other thoughts in mind. After all she was wild and had to find food where ever she could. I put and end to that scene.
The Good Lord blessed us with Skye for nearly thirteen years. We will get another dog. We always do. Probably not another Golden since Skye seems irreplaceable. Her remains are in a cedar box on our mantle for the time being. Eventually I will put her under the ‘Stage-horn Fern’ that hangs from our oak in the front yard with a ball and a toy. That was her favorite spot to lay. When I sat on the porch she was there or in the bushes by the porch. This has been a catharsis for me. This video….
I agree with JRR Tolkien who said something like, “God created dogs to teach us how to LOVE.” Skye certainly made that easy…
DKS
I love to follow your family Website, David, and though I haven’t said so often enough over the years, it’s just wonderful … sweet, sentimental, thought-provoking, funny … ALL the things that matter, including the chance to share the joys of a beautiful family. The last time I checked in, I saw that you were working on a tribute to Skye, and today when I read that it was ready, I had to see it immediately. I can’t imagine anything more perfect, but boy, oh boy, did I cry, remembering all of the dogs that Stu and I have also loved and lost over the years. It must have taken you an age to put such a marvelous tribute together between YOUR tears and emotions. We know how you and Jan feel about your loss, but we also know that Skye is still by your sides and will certainly play a role in helping you find the next lucky pup to join your loving family.
Thanks, Judy.
I had to do this. I know you understand that. They are special, our dogs.
We need to get together. Over here or there?
David and Jan
We’d love for you to come HERE! We can’t make definite plans at the moment (Stu’s having knee problems and we won’t know his doc’s plans for him until later next week … nothing major, though), and we’ve got tentative plans after that to visit friends in St. Pete and Sarasota. What does your calendar look like? We’ll get this done … we four are WAY OVERDUE for a visit!!! We have someone we’d like you and Jan to meet, too, and her name is Maya. Our dear Agatha passed away unexpectedly on New Year’s Eve at the end of 2011 and we swore we couldn’t go through losing another dog … but after a year and a half of grieving and a house that STILL felt empty, we found and adopted Maya (now 4 or 5 years old and still all English Springer puppy) and brought her home on our 46th anniversary on “Cinco de Mayo” in 2013!
Much love to you and Jan —
Judy & Stu