I got back last night and I had a wonderful time. It's been almost four years since I've seen either my brother or his wife. Literally the last time my immediate family has been together was at my brother's wedding. But that's the reality of our being scattered from Vermont , Virginia and all the way to Colorado. My brother and I do make an effort to regularly visit my mother, but our schedules never seem to mesh.
However that all changed this weekend. My brother had planned months ago to see our mother on her 80th birthday. One night while chatting with him about his upcoming visit he said I should come.
He was absolutely right.
Larry told me to go, his mother was planing on visiting around then and she could help shuttle kids. So I bought my tickets for a quick weekend get away.
We ate good food, drank fare too much good wine and some very fine champagne. I made lemon squares for my Mom on her birthday, which we all devoured that night after we got home from an excellent dinner out (I highly recommend the Canoe Club in Hanover, NH). My brother and I also tidy up the place, he pruned a tree and hung pictures while I picked up dog poop finally released from winter's icy grip and reorganized the laundry room.
It was all too brief, but I had to get back to my day job, full time mom.
Today I picked up the dogs from the kennel. (Grandpa came down with Grandma and his asthma is horribly affected by the dogs. To help keep him healthy we kennel the dogs when the come. The dogs, by the way , love going to the kennel so it's no hardship on them.)
When I walked in the first thing the staff said was "Aww, you're coming to take my babies." I then got an almost ten minute love fest about how wonderful the boys are. They are super affectionate, Dell in particular. Their description of him wiggling on his back begging for more tummy rubs reminded me of several cartoons I cut out years ago.
Crunch too was a great lover of tummy rubs and these cartoons were spot on with him. It's nice to see that Dell takes after the old man.
Showing posts with label Crunch. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Crunch. Show all posts
Monday, April 20, 2009
Friday, April 03, 2009
Photographic Assistant
I found these photos and I thought it would be fun to share them with y'all.
They are from roughly seven years ago, Max and Rebecca were mere babes in arms. Grandma Diane and her good friend Signy, who is a photographer, came down to see the babies and take some pictures.
I remember the set up for these particular shots. The dynamic duo were on the floor on top of a very colorful mat. In fact it was deemed far too busy and a green throw was artfully placed around them. Just as the picture was about to be taken Crunch poked his head in the frame and gave Max a good face washing.
Once he was done with his self appointed duty he wandered off.
Max was completely unfazed (Which is quite a contrast with how would feel now, he does not like anyone or anything to kiss him and a dog washing his face is complete anathema to him.) and Rebecca squealed and reached toward Crunch.
Some would say the first picture was spoiled, but I love the sequence of the two pictures. I added the captions to them after they were first scanned in 2002 and to this day I still think they are funny.
They are from roughly seven years ago, Max and Rebecca were mere babes in arms. Grandma Diane and her good friend Signy, who is a photographer, came down to see the babies and take some pictures.
I remember the set up for these particular shots. The dynamic duo were on the floor on top of a very colorful mat. In fact it was deemed far too busy and a green throw was artfully placed around them. Just as the picture was about to be taken Crunch poked his head in the frame and gave Max a good face washing.
Once he was done with his self appointed duty he wandered off.
Max was completely unfazed (Which is quite a contrast with how would feel now, he does not like anyone or anything to kiss him and a dog washing his face is complete anathema to him.) and Rebecca squealed and reached toward Crunch.
Some would say the first picture was spoiled, but I love the sequence of the two pictures. I added the captions to them after they were first scanned in 2002 and to this day I still think they are funny.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
One Happy Dog
My friend Dianne found this video over at StumbleUpon Video and sent me the following note:
As I watched this video, I couldn't help think of Crunch and the boys. Thought you would enjoy this.
Dianne
Jerry, with his white face, looks so much like Crunch. Crunch was also tennis ball crazy, but he never got his own ball throwing machine. I think the whole thing is fantastic.
Friday, December 14, 2007
Crunch is Home
Last Friday I picked up Crunch's remains from the vet. It was a hard trip, I sobbed in the car before going in and it hit me again when I got back into the car.
This is one of our first pictures of Crunch. He was, as all puppies are, adorable. Rally thought otherwise and was initially quite peeved with this goofy red interloper. But in the end it wasn't such a bad thing especially once she figured out how to trick him out of the comfy spot in the kitchen.
We had gotten Crunch in January of 1993. We wanted another dog and we thought Rally would like the companionship. He just kind of fell into our laps. His breeder had called us wondering if we were still looking for a dog. I had spoken with her months earlier when we were first looking, but she had nothing to offer at the time. Apparently I had made a good impression and when they had decided that it was time to place "Nestle" they gave us a call.
His original name was Nestle as in Nestle Crunch. His bite started to go off and that was why we were offered him. When we went to get him, up in the wilds of Ramsey, Minnesota, his bite had improved. They asked if it was possible if we could show him and thus a hobby was born. We thought Nestle was a weenie name and called him Crunch instead. Crunch grew to be a handsome dog, a canine Fabio according to my Brother in Law. He was also a natural show dog and I was able to handle him myself to his champion ship. Not bad for a novice handler.
Because of Crunch, Dianne (his breeder), became a very good friend. She then pointed me in the direction of the local dachshund club and I made a lot of friends in the "dog world." The local club was and still is very performance oriented and it was a given that if your dog had any talent in the field you should try to put a Field Championship on it along with a bench or rather show Championship thus earning the dog the title of Dual Champion. Crunch was a natural in the field, his only problem was the extreme difficulty I had in getting him back. He was notorious as the dog that would take off when the judges would ask for the handlers to pick up their dogs. His saving grace was his unfailingly happy demeanor and the fact that anybody could pick him up. Everybody loved Crunch because he loved everybody.
In time we were able to put a Dual Championship on Crunch. It wasn't until we moved back East that we realized what a big deal a DC was. At that point I decided to go whole hog and try to get a Versatility Certificate on him. It is a high honor from the Dachshund Club of America and not every dog can earn one. In 2000 he qualified and we headed out west to the National Specialty show in Portland Oregon in 2001. I was pregnant with Max and Rebecca and as big as a house. I was determined to be there when his plaque would be announced at the banquet. It was a huge ordeal flying out to Portland with two kids and a dog, but we made it. As an added bonus we got to spend time with a dear friend of mine from college. She had married the previous year and we had flown out for that sans kids.
As the years slipped by I would occasionally bring Crunch out to show. He loved going to shows and always put on a good show. At the tender age of 11 1/2 he sired his first litter and a few months later John, his son, came to live with us. When Jake turned 10 we got him a Junior Handler number and he would take Crunch into the ring while I showed John. Crunch was very happy with his new career and was very patient with Jake. But I could she he was starting to fade.
He could still move like a dream, but he was slowing down. Crunch was spending much more sleeping and then we got John. John was a good addition to the household. He perked everybody up and he and his father would endlessly wrestle at my feet. With a look Crunch could flatten his son. John knew who the boss was.
But then at the end of summer Crunch started to falter. He wasn't as sure on his feet and his nose started to bother him. It looked like him had a nasal tumor. We never got a definitive diagnoses, because it would mean sedating him and the last time we did , about 8 months previously, it took 4 days for him to recover. I promised him I wouldn't do that to him again. At 15 he was too old. Then he stopped wrestling with John and not long afterwards to eat. I was able to tempt him along for a while, but in the end it was time.
The last picture was taken a few days before his final trip. He was my dog and always loved to be in my lap.
This is one of our first pictures of Crunch. He was, as all puppies are, adorable. Rally thought otherwise and was initially quite peeved with this goofy red interloper. But in the end it wasn't such a bad thing especially once she figured out how to trick him out of the comfy spot in the kitchen.
We had gotten Crunch in January of 1993. We wanted another dog and we thought Rally would like the companionship. He just kind of fell into our laps. His breeder had called us wondering if we were still looking for a dog. I had spoken with her months earlier when we were first looking, but she had nothing to offer at the time. Apparently I had made a good impression and when they had decided that it was time to place "Nestle" they gave us a call.
His original name was Nestle as in Nestle Crunch. His bite started to go off and that was why we were offered him. When we went to get him, up in the wilds of Ramsey, Minnesota, his bite had improved. They asked if it was possible if we could show him and thus a hobby was born. We thought Nestle was a weenie name and called him Crunch instead. Crunch grew to be a handsome dog, a canine Fabio according to my Brother in Law. He was also a natural show dog and I was able to handle him myself to his champion ship. Not bad for a novice handler.
Because of Crunch, Dianne (his breeder), became a very good friend. She then pointed me in the direction of the local dachshund club and I made a lot of friends in the "dog world." The local club was and still is very performance oriented and it was a given that if your dog had any talent in the field you should try to put a Field Championship on it along with a bench or rather show Championship thus earning the dog the title of Dual Champion. Crunch was a natural in the field, his only problem was the extreme difficulty I had in getting him back. He was notorious as the dog that would take off when the judges would ask for the handlers to pick up their dogs. His saving grace was his unfailingly happy demeanor and the fact that anybody could pick him up. Everybody loved Crunch because he loved everybody.
In time we were able to put a Dual Championship on Crunch. It wasn't until we moved back East that we realized what a big deal a DC was. At that point I decided to go whole hog and try to get a Versatility Certificate on him. It is a high honor from the Dachshund Club of America and not every dog can earn one. In 2000 he qualified and we headed out west to the National Specialty show in Portland Oregon in 2001. I was pregnant with Max and Rebecca and as big as a house. I was determined to be there when his plaque would be announced at the banquet. It was a huge ordeal flying out to Portland with two kids and a dog, but we made it. As an added bonus we got to spend time with a dear friend of mine from college. She had married the previous year and we had flown out for that sans kids.
As the years slipped by I would occasionally bring Crunch out to show. He loved going to shows and always put on a good show. At the tender age of 11 1/2 he sired his first litter and a few months later John, his son, came to live with us. When Jake turned 10 we got him a Junior Handler number and he would take Crunch into the ring while I showed John. Crunch was very happy with his new career and was very patient with Jake. But I could she he was starting to fade.
He could still move like a dream, but he was slowing down. Crunch was spending much more sleeping and then we got John. John was a good addition to the household. He perked everybody up and he and his father would endlessly wrestle at my feet. With a look Crunch could flatten his son. John knew who the boss was.
But then at the end of summer Crunch started to falter. He wasn't as sure on his feet and his nose started to bother him. It looked like him had a nasal tumor. We never got a definitive diagnoses, because it would mean sedating him and the last time we did , about 8 months previously, it took 4 days for him to recover. I promised him I wouldn't do that to him again. At 15 he was too old. Then he stopped wrestling with John and not long afterwards to eat. I was able to tempt him along for a while, but in the end it was time.
The last picture was taken a few days before his final trip. He was my dog and always loved to be in my lap.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Crunch: Sept. 29, 1992 - Nov. 27, 2007
Today I did the hardest thing I have ever done, I took Crunch in for his last trip to the vet.
He had been rapidly failing this past week. I actually made an appointment for last Friday, but he perked up over Thanksgiving and enjoyed some pumpkin pie. I was happy to cancel the next day, but in the back of my mind I knew it would be soon. He was just over 15 years old and had a good long run.
Yesterday he completely refused to eat and I was only able to get him to drink by squirting water into his mouth with a 5 ml syringe. As the day progressed he grew weaker and weaker and could no longer walk by day's end. It was time to release him.
I called the vet clinic this morning in tears and they arranged for me to head over at 11:00. I spent the morning fussing over Crunch, even feeding him a few syringe fulls of yogurt. I sat outside with him in the bright sunshine, his frail body warmly wrapped in a soft towel. When it was time to go I gently placed him on the front seat, still wrapped in his towel. For his last ride he rode next to me and was not banished to the crate in the back. My right hand rested on him during the whole ride.
At the clinic they were very kind. They brought me tissues when I first arrived and left a box for me in the examining room. The vet was so gentle as he slipped the needle in. With a final sigh I felt Crunch completely relax and then he was gone, his spirit slipped free of his failing body.
He was such a strong dog and such a sweet boy, everybody was Crunch's friend. He was my first show dog and was a natural in the ring. He loved showing and I'm so glad I brought him out for my club's specialty. He wasn't entered, but he had a grand time being at the show. He also was a true hunting dog and woe to any small animal that dared set foot into his backyard. He was a truly versatile dachshund and had earned his Versatility Certificate from the Dachshund Club of America despite my novice handling.
When he grew older, with graying muzzle and paws, he was still an outrageously fit dog. He could still move like a champ right up until last Spring. He was an amazing dog and I'm so lucky to have been with him all these years.
I miss my big red boy.
He had been rapidly failing this past week. I actually made an appointment for last Friday, but he perked up over Thanksgiving and enjoyed some pumpkin pie. I was happy to cancel the next day, but in the back of my mind I knew it would be soon. He was just over 15 years old and had a good long run.
Yesterday he completely refused to eat and I was only able to get him to drink by squirting water into his mouth with a 5 ml syringe. As the day progressed he grew weaker and weaker and could no longer walk by day's end. It was time to release him.
I called the vet clinic this morning in tears and they arranged for me to head over at 11:00. I spent the morning fussing over Crunch, even feeding him a few syringe fulls of yogurt. I sat outside with him in the bright sunshine, his frail body warmly wrapped in a soft towel. When it was time to go I gently placed him on the front seat, still wrapped in his towel. For his last ride he rode next to me and was not banished to the crate in the back. My right hand rested on him during the whole ride.
At the clinic they were very kind. They brought me tissues when I first arrived and left a box for me in the examining room. The vet was so gentle as he slipped the needle in. With a final sigh I felt Crunch completely relax and then he was gone, his spirit slipped free of his failing body.
He was such a strong dog and such a sweet boy, everybody was Crunch's friend. He was my first show dog and was a natural in the ring. He loved showing and I'm so glad I brought him out for my club's specialty. He wasn't entered, but he had a grand time being at the show. He also was a true hunting dog and woe to any small animal that dared set foot into his backyard. He was a truly versatile dachshund and had earned his Versatility Certificate from the Dachshund Club of America despite my novice handling.
When he grew older, with graying muzzle and paws, he was still an outrageously fit dog. He could still move like a champ right up until last Spring. He was an amazing dog and I'm so lucky to have been with him all these years.
I miss my big red boy.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
The Old Man
Crunch's 15th birthday is this weekend and he is really starting to show his age now. He is very much an old dog.
He wanders around the house and barks, sometimes for little reason, or least for no reason I can figure out.
He doesn't really do the stairs from the deck to the backyard yard. Going down the three steps is just too tricky, he ends up doing a bit of a tumble with a face plant. Some days he can go up, but usually he gets stuck halfway up and barks for me to come fetch him.
He still wrestles with his son John, but it is no longer the no holds barred Greco-Roman form, it's mostly a bit of a chase and John flopping over and the two of them mouthing each other.
He is longer fit to show, not even in Juniors, but he'll get to tag along to next month's show for old times sake. It's painful for me to see his decline, but it's better than the alternative and having no Crunch at all.
He wanders around the house and barks, sometimes for little reason, or least for no reason I can figure out.
He doesn't really do the stairs from the deck to the backyard yard. Going down the three steps is just too tricky, he ends up doing a bit of a tumble with a face plant. Some days he can go up, but usually he gets stuck halfway up and barks for me to come fetch him.
He still wrestles with his son John, but it is no longer the no holds barred Greco-Roman form, it's mostly a bit of a chase and John flopping over and the two of them mouthing each other.
He is longer fit to show, not even in Juniors, but he'll get to tag along to next month's show for old times sake. It's painful for me to see his decline, but it's better than the alternative and having no Crunch at all.
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