Yesterday was Wrigley's first birthday! And since I know no children around the nest anymore, I felt like making a big deal of this special day. Bill and me decided to take him up to Oak Creek Canyon in northern Arizona. Bill has been working so hard lately and we haven't gone hiking in quite a long time. We used to take our first golden retriever up hiking a lot. Hampton used to stay in the creeks until he was shaking to death, looking for fish to catch. He would get dirty running along the paths and then get all muddy running across the creek. The inside of the car was always a mess but it all seemed worth it. This was definitely a tradition we wanted to keep with our new golden puppy.
I thought about taking Hampton's ashes in the urn up to Oak Creek to spread over the water, but at the last moment I changed my mind. Hampton went back to Andy's old bedroom to "rest".
The puppy did well on the two hour car ride but was ready to get out and explore. We walked for a couple of miles and met up with a sexy little black lab named Sophia and Wrigley took a definite liking to this bitch who was many years his elder. They fetched a tennis ball and frolicked in the water. Once, we let him off the lease to roam around, but he took off on the path like a 'bat out of hell' (such a crazy saying!) and Bill had to go chase him up the hill.
After about four hours, we got back in the car and drove home. Wrigley nestled in the back seat and proceeded to fall asleep within minutes. He looked so content and peaceful, which made us think about Hampton. Hampton was a great dog. He died on back cancer when he was 11 years old. We still miss him and I have his picture on my cell phone.
As we got about ten miles from home, Bill said, "you know it was just about this time of year when Hampton died". I never remember dates like that. He then said, when we get home, I'll look at that picture on your phone to see what day he died. Well, there was a reason we ended up going on September 28 and not the 27th or 30th. You see, when we turned on my phone and checked the picture (taken just minutes before he was put to sleep) Hampton had died two years ago on the same day that our new puppy, Wrigley was born. It was not until this very afternoon that we knew this fact. We have truly been blessed by our pets and know they have enriched our lives so much.
The costumes seem to fit the personality of each dog so perfectly. Having seen these, I search for the perfect costume for my golden retriever. Which do you like best?
