Friday, January 27, 2017

Dear Abby - Remembering Special Pets: Sophie

Dear Friends,

I hope you are having a good week!  Thanks for stopping.  Today one of my dachshund friends, Don, has stopped by.  His beautiful rescue dachshund, Lulu Belle visited the blog last year.  Click here to read her story:  Meet Lulu Belle (A Rescue Spotlight).  Don has a very special dachshund to remember here today.
 
Abby:  Thanks for stopping by!  What pet would you like to remember at my blog today?   

Don:
  Today I would like to remember Sophie. She was born in 1966, died in 1977, and was our first dachshund after we were married. Sophie was a dachshund blueblood, being a von Marienlust dachshund, and a direct descendant of Baron von Marienlust, who won an award for his service with the US Army in World War II as a bomb-sniffing dog. It was estimated that he had saved hundreds of lives through the bombs he detected.
 

Abby:  What are some happy memories of Sophie?

Don: Sophie loved to play ball. She would invent new games to play, and always greeted me at home with her trademark red ball in her mouth. Any time I went down into our basement was a treat for her, as she would bounce her ball down the stairs to me, and wait for me to throw it up into main floor of the house for her to retrieve. Then she would bring it back and bounce it down to me again, and on and on. She never tired of her ball-playing games, and in fact we used to call her Sophie Ballgame.

Abby:  Do you have any funny anecdotes? 

Don:  Sophie loved to come fishing with me. I would put a cushion on the front strut of my 14' fishing boat, and she would sit there by the hour, watching the tip of the fishing rod to see if I caught a fish. When the rod bent down, she would get all excited and come closer for me to show her the fish. Then one day, we were on a family vacation on one of the New York Finger Lakes, which are very big lakes. Sophie and I were out fishing, I caught a fish, and I showed it to her. But this time, as I put the fish back in the water, she got too excited and dove in after it! And she was disoriented, and was swimming out into the middle of this very big, very deep, half-mile wide lake. I figured I did not have time to get the boat going and catch her that way, but fortunately I was a very strong swimmer. So I threw my wallet into the bottom of the boat and dove in after her! I caught up with her quickly, and turned her around, but then I could not get us both back into the boat without tipping it over. So we swam to shore together, which was only about 50 yards distant. After we got to shore, both dripping wet of course, I persuaded my brother-in-law to take the other fishing boat that was there and take me back out to get my boat and wallet. After that Sophie was only allowed to fish with me when I was on shore, and not in a boat. 

Abby:  I enjoyed visiting with you today.  Is there anything else about Sophie you would like to share?

Don:  She was really my first child, I loved her very much, and almost 40 years after she died I still miss her. Somewhere she is chasing her red rubber ball and I know I will see her again. 

Abby:  Thank you, Don!  I appreciate you stopping by.  I loved hearing about Sophie.   Her game of playing ball by bouncing it down the stairs sounds like fun to me!  And she was a brave dog with her fishing adventure.  I can tell how much she was loved from the way you speak of her.

Friends, you can leave comments for Don in the comment section below.  If you would like to visit and share your special memories, I would love to hear from you.  Please leave your email in the comments so I can be in touch.

Have a great weekend!

Love,

Abby xoxoxo

7 comments:

barbarakwrites said...

I so enjoyed reading about Sophie. In my mind's eye I can picture her with her red ball. None of our dachshunds have been ball retrievers, rather simply taking the ball and not letting it go. I am moved that Sophie is so loved and remembered so fondly after so many years. Thank you for sharing Sophie with us.

The Peculiar Treasure said...

Awww, I can totally picture her going fishing with him! How precious is that!

Jean B. said...

Oh Don what a wonderful memory of your beautiful girl. You told
this story with so much love. My heart was smiling the entire time,
Until I got down to where it had been 40 years, then I teared up.
These little dachshunds just make you love them so much. We will
never forget the little crazy things these daredevils boldly do.
Thank you so much Don~

Greta Hollar said...

Awww Sophie reminds me of my dachsunds. They're such loyal pets!

Greta | www.gretahollar.com

Abby said...

Thanks to you all for visiting! Momma and I both found Sophie's memories so moving too. She was a very special girl to be loved so much and for so long.

Love,
Abby

Mistle said...

Doxies have my heart. I have one named Boudin and he is such a smart little one. He is also funny and keeps me laughing. He is like my child. I enjoyed reading about Sophie. Dachshunds are the best!

Abby said...

Mistle, thank you for stopping by! I love the name Boudin. He sounds like a wonderful doxie! Momma says I am like her child too.

Abby