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Dam: Sky - Wahkiakum's
Montana Sky CDX, JH, NAJ, WC, OD
Sire: Midas - Ashford Midas Golden Touch CDX, JH, WC
Born: 5/31/1998
Nicknames: Springie, Little Monkey, Doodle Bug, Moo
Puppy Color: yellow
On May 31st
2007
Springie, also affectionately called Little Monkey, Doodle Bug
&
Moo, will be nine years old. My first memory of my little pal was when
she was just a puppy. As we would drive along together, in a green Ford
Explorer, I would listen to favorite opera arias. At each red light, I
would turn to look at Spring who was sitting in her crate and, yes, she
was smiling at the soprano’s arias and at me! With
a spring in her step she has been smiling─her fully alive, exuberant
smile─ever since.
Whether
it is the tender, dear smile she gives to Ria and Joby each time they
pet her, the smile of contentment as we sit quietly together in the
evening, the squeaky toy “good morning” smile as she runs down the hall
for breakfast, the alert full-blown smile as she launches herself into
Lake Tahoe to swim and retrieve a treasured bumper, or the joyous,
playful smile as she trots along while heeling beside me, Spring
definitely knows smiles.
But, it is the trust
reflected in her beautiful brown eyes and her big Golden smile, as she
looks up at me and says, “I want to be with you. What are we going to
do today?” that has touched me most deeply. Spring has always been so
willing, ready and more than able to try anything that I would ask of
her. Perhaps our proudest accomplishment & title is the
Versatile
Companion Dog.
A few of our Versatile Kodak memories
include:
Running
a track through a field of yellow wildflowers to earn a TD in less than
four minutes─seeing her happy wagging tail, from 20 feet away, when I
asked, “What did you find?”
Traveling to Montana,
part of Spring’s namesake, and earning a CD in three trials─celebrating
by fishing and swimming on the Ruby River.
Gasping
for breath while training the full-of-speed Spring to compete in
Agility─finally asking Dee Dee to finish her NA and NAJ titles!
Hearing
a Hunt Test Judge say, after a long difficult water retrieve, “I would
give that dog a 12 if I could for her marking ability!”
All
of Spring’s versatility and smiling willingness has really been just
“the frosting on the cake.” The real focus for me has always been the
on the word, Companion, on how our companionship, something that
surpasses understanding, continues to grow and deepen with each passing
year.
I think an obedience judge in Bozeman,
Montana
described this part of our relationship the best. She said to me, after
we had finished the Open exercises on a cold, rainy September morning,
“She is an absolute joy to watch work and represents and exudes the
very best of what a Golden Retriever should be.” We both walked out of
the ring with tears in our eyes. Springie though was still
smiling. And, after sits & downs the judge added, “Do
you
know how lucky you are to have this dog?”
The James Taylor arrangement of “How
Sweet It Is─to be loved by you” is our
perfect, heart full of gratitude, special song. So, Spring, my best,
little, always smiling, faithful companion, “I just wanna’
stop and thank you. . .”
- Carole M. Steding
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