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Some climbers and my dog... (A tribute)
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So... I somehow missed that the late S. Price's account was deleted completely, along with any threads that he originated. This includes a number of threads that had a lot of wholesome and heartfelt content, including one that was dedicated to our beloved canines. Here's a restart of that thread. S. Price, wherever you are, I'm sorry that your threads got deleted, depriving future forum members of the content that you created, and the content that you inspired. I hope this thread can serve as some tribute to what you brought to these forums... I never had dogs growing up, but I always loved them. I'd always considered myself a dog person, but never felt the need to have one of my own. I considered it like being the cool uncle or grandparent. I loved playing with everyone else's dogs, but then I got to send them home for someone else to take care of. My wife, on the other hand, had a dog growing up, and was adamant that we get one. We put it ot a vote, and I lost, one to one. (I didn't demand a recount, or anything. I conceded gracefully.)  Wrigley was the best of boys, but even though his breed is known for being long-lived, we lost him last August, after only 12 and a half years. His kidneys failed, and we put him down mere days before I got the news that I myself had kidney cancer. It was already a tough time for our family, and that dog-shaped hole in our lives made it even worse. However, despite our children's pleas to immediately get another dog, we assured them that grief is a natural part of life, and that it takes time to process. A new puppy wouldn't bring Wrigley back. We all agreed to wait until we'd had time to process the loss before going in search of a new puppy. So it was that my cancer surgery was a complete success, and while my incisions healed rather quickly, the emotional scars lingered. For months afterward, our sons would break down into tears randomly. Something would remind them of our beloved pup, and the fact that he was gone, and it would cue the waterworks. This generally had a cascading effect throughout the family, including me. Despite my initial reservations abotu owning a dog, I loved that little guy, and I missed him fiercely. Gradually, though, those episodes became less frequent, and the sharp edges on those memories were rounded into something that didn't hurt so much when handled. It's been 17 months since we lost Wrigley, and we're finally to a point where we can remember him without any ugly sobbing or blubbering. (Well, maybe a few quiet tears as I type this....) We've finally decided it's time to love again. In a few weeks, we'll be picking up Athena. (She's the one in the middle.) She'll never replace Wrigley, but there's plenty of room in our hearts for a new fuzzy companion. And this time, the vote was unanimous.  * Disclaimer: Wrigley was not a crag dog, and Athena won't be, either. Wrigley was totally chill hanging out everywhere, and loved people and dogs alike, but frankly, he couldn't climb for shit. Luckily, we have loving, non-climbing friends who are happy to play the cool aunt/uncle for us when we're out of town. |
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Was Wrigley an American Eskimo? One of my dogs is part AE and 14 years old. Champ  Missy  |
FrankPS wrote: Yep, his parents were miniatures (mother and father were 18lb and 16lb, respectively). He was much larger than either of them. At a healthy weight, he was about 24lb. Of course, having twin boys in the house, he got a lot of extra calories we didn't know about. It's not like they ever fed him deliberately, they just were a lot messier than we realized. Wrigley stayed overnight at the vet after a hip surgery when he was 8 (The boys were 5.5). We were appalled at the amount of food that was on the floor after dinner that night, and couldn't figure out why they were so messy, since the floor was usually quite clean after every meal. That's when it dawned on us that a) our boys were not nearly as fastidious of eaters as we'd previously thought, and b) we now had an explanation for why our dog weighed 30lb despite portion control and no treats! |
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Frank, it's so nice to see Missy and Champ first out of the gate, here. So fitting! Steve and 2row.  |
Old lady H wrote: Thanks! |
Old lady H wrote: And it's equally fitting to see a pic of Steve and 2row. Thanks for that, Helen. |
 My bouldering buddy, Dyno. |
 Penny (2009 - May 2020) I lost my best friend back in May. Not a day goes by that I don't miss her. |
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Andrew, I understand Steve asked for his account to be deleted a few months before he passed. You can still find his threads under abandoned user I believe. I know you can find them with the title. I re read Solitary Refinement a couple of months ago. A unique trip report to say the least. Last I knew 2Row was living with family in Ecuador. His wife moved there shortly after he passed. They are missed by the local community. Every time I climb here I think of him and his four legged companion. Very nice of you to do this Andrew. |
Parachute Adams wrote: Nope. He became abandoned user, when he died, but the threads were all still there if you remembered the title to search. It's only recently his account was deleted and everything went with it. Somewhere in the world, if they still exist, are two paper copies of about 2/3 of the dog thread. Handmade "books". Myself and the other recipient of a book (besides Steve) each have a "Steve" draw. So. Gone, but not forgotten. Sorry such a great many of you "lost" your shared pup pics! There were over 100 individuals when I put those books together, with no repeats! Best, Helen |
Cory B wrote: She was adorable. Sucks to lose them any time, I imagine that having it happen during the middle of this pandemic made it even harder still. Sorry for your loss. |
 Baby Juniper somewhere near the Bridge |
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Alpine (L) and Willow (R). 2 of our 4 woofs and the best crag dogs you've ever seen.  |
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 Shasta enjoying sweet sweet summertime |
 Yesterday I was climbing a route on the Apron in Squamish but came home to realize that our precious Holly was ready for her forever sleep. Today my wife and I cry but tomorrow we will smile with 13.5 years of memories. Love you, Holly. |
