As most readers know, Mark has kindly allowed me to post on his blog with stories and photos from my ongoing life. Since Mark gave you a general background on me, I'm going to avoid the obvious introduction post and delve right into current events (this will save you from having to read my biography and me from writing it).
This first entry actually appeared on my Facebook page, but I decided to repost it here:
Sue gets ready to take home Sitka
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..."
Charles Dickens famous opening line from "A Tale of Two Cities" is an appropriate description for the story I'm about to tell. Some of my friends on FB will remember me posting a photo of my wife Sue and soon to be newest member of our household...Alyeska. This Siberian Husky puppy was still nursing with her mom so it would be a few weeks before we would actually take possession of her. This past weekend, I received a message from Karissa Struba, owner of For The Love Of Pomskies with terribly sad and tragic news. Sweet Alyeska had passed away from causes unknown. Reading the words, I was in initial shock, not understanding what the message meant. After a minute or so passed, I came to realize that Alyeska was never coming home with us.
Our brief time spent with Alyeska
The next hardest thing was telling my wife. Like me, Sue was initially in disbelief, but the grief and tears came very soon and sudden. As hard as it was for us, we knew it was worse for Rissa and her family. After a couple of days passed to deal with the emotional loss and pain, we made contact with each other and Rissa offered us a refund on our deposit or the opportunity to take home Alyeska's sister (the last remaining pup from the litter). What's funny is that Sue was initially drawn to Sitka (which we ended up naming her), but as she began to squirm and bite her toes, we began to have doubts. All pups are biters as they begin teething, so that's not a problem. The squirming and Rissa's acknowledgement that Sitka was a bit more "independent" made us opt for the more mellow Alyeska. Before driving out to Ewa Beach, I asked Sue that we not make a decision when visiting Rissa, that we wait to get home so we could talk and pray on this decision. Sue had been honest and told me her mind was made up...that the puppy needed a home. Nonetheless, she agreed to wait. Once at Rissa's beautiful home, it was obvious that Sitka was coming home with her. To see the smile and happiness on my wife's face was all anyone could ask and hope for. As it so happens, Sitka is turning out to be a sweetheart, very affectionate, and open to intense belly rubs.
It's been said that a dog is but a chapter in a person's life, while for the dog, the person is the entire book. We were able to spend maybe 45 minutes with Alyeska...a small chapter in her life. Now she's writing a whole book of joy and happiness in heaven. As for us, we're beginning a new chapter with her sister Sitka. Looking forward to an amazing tale for sure!
"What kind of trouble can I get into next...hmmmm"
"I call this brown tasty stuff...brown tasty stuff!"
(Photographs copyright Len Yokoyama.)
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