Friday, October 31, 2008

Happy Halloweenie.....

Today being Halloween, brings back all the very sweet memories of our first dog, Mr. Woof Woof...to his MOM ...Woofie....
We had only been married three years and living in a garden apartment in Middletown Maryland, around 1 1/2 hours drive from DC., when we decided we wanted a dog. This was a big step, because , we had to get approval from the apartment manager,pay a pet deposit and add an extra 10.00 a month to our rent, in order to have a dog. We didn't have much money, but we both had fallen in love with the dog next door named, Dagny. I had taken to walking Dagny everyday and he had become a companion in my new life of painting at home. Dagny's owners worked and were glad to have a playmate for their dog. The playmate being me...When Dagny's owners announced that they were moving away, I was devastated, and my husband suggested that maybe we should get a dog of our own. I had never had a dog, and even though I had spent hours in Dagny's company, Dagny was full grown and had the best manners...A puppy was scary. Needless to say the first time I saw Woofie at the pound, it was love at first sight, even though he was covered in dog doody...he and his litter mates were being treated for worms just having arrived at the pound...we reversed the puppy and were told we could pick him up in a week....Imagine how startled we were when we went to pick up our little brown d puppy and to our surprise, after a bath, he was blond..less the poo..lol
Woofie, took over our apartment and our hearts....raising a puppy was an adventure, that was new to both my husband and myself.... he was a wonderful dog, smart , always happy and he loved everyone and went everywhere I did...it has always been easy to have a puppy, because I of working at home in the studio..all our puppies love the studio, it is their safe ,familiar place ,that they spend hours and hours before the Dad comes home....
That we have dogs and will always have dogs is due to what a great dog Woofie was...
It is also the reason ,that since 1982 ,our family Christmas card has always been a doggy photo...Woofie would let me take his picture in any crazy outfit I came up with and would stay when told in costume ,while I took different shots...never moving a muscle, until I gave him the all clear...lol....very different from our other dogs ,that have been part of my crazy picture taking...
Halloween was Woofie's special day....he absolutely loved the trick-or-treaters , answering the door with great enthusiasm and helping me hand out candy...a couple of Halloweens , I would dress Woofie in costume and we would go treat-or-treating to our special friends in the neighborhood , we lived in the city then , in a great old neighborhood near the Pentagon.....what a commotion he would create..children and adults alike, got such a kick out of this great dog with the big heart, that little ones would always call Benji
So I wanted to share some of Woofie's photos today, his favorite day ....Halloween....

1 comment:

The Chilly Hollow Needlepoint Adventure said...

What a great story and photos, Gail! Made me think of our own beloved dogs who have left us for heaven and I cried a bit. Dogs take up residence in your heart and never leave there, don't they?
Jane/CH