Maplewood Flat Coated Retrievers & Cardigan Welsh Corgis

Sharon, MA

katrin@maplewooddog.com

It's not even been a year since he's been gone.  His loss is still felt.  The other day someone told me, "It doesn't get easier with time, you just find different ways to cope."  And I think that is the truth.  So I'm trying to find a 'different way to cope' and decided to write down a "Memorial Page" for him and me.  It was started October 31, 2007 and I'll add to it as I remember.  If you have memories of the BrownDog that you would like to share, either privately or I can post them here, please e-mail them to me at katrin@maplewooddog.com

Added 12/6/07:

I've lost a friend.  His brother 3200 miles away, who lives with friends of mine, is now dying of another form of cancer.  They will soon be going through the same loss.  It seems that this time of year FCR-L is full of notes about dogs that are getting ready to leave us or have left suddenly or after a long struggle.  I don't know why, but it always seems to happen more this time of year.  Another person I know is going through a possible scare with her flat coat as well up in Maine. 

Re & his brother at the 1999 RI FCRSA Specialty.  They were both about 9months old.  Re had the more masculine looks, but they both had "California Ears" :-)  (Photo (C) Christopher Butler)

I put this on Monty's blog today: Hold Them

"Just hold them and tell them you love them. Often.

Life's too short. And a dog's is even shorter.

He's gone, and just about a year later, his brother is dying too.

I'm going to go curl up in a dog crate and cry that my BrownDog is gone and my friends 3200 miles away will be going through the same thing shortly.

Just hold them and tell them you love them. Often. It will never be enough. Never enough."

And though I'm not a big country person (and for someone that rarely turns on the radio and owns no CDs or Tapes or even a CD or tape player, even in her truck, I have a lot of songs running around in my head).  This song always reminds me of things like this- What if I said by Anita Cochran (with Steve Wariner):

We've been friends for a long long time
You tell me your secrets and I'll tell you mine
She's left you all alone
And you feel like no one cares
But I have never failed you
I've always been there

You tell your story
It sounds a bit like mine
It's the same old situation
It happens every time
Can't we see it oh maybe you and me
Is what's meant to be
Do we disagree

What if I told you what if I said that I love you
How would you feel what would you think
What would we do
Do we dare to cross that line
between your heart and mine
Or would I lose a friend or find a
love that would never end
What if I said

She doesn't love you oh it's' plain to see
I can read between the lines of
what you're telling me
He doesn't hold you the way a woman should be held
How long can I go on keeping
these feelings to myself

What if I told you what if I said that I love you
How would you feel what would you think
What would we do
Do we dare to cross that line
between your heart and mine
Or would I lose a friend or find a
love that would never end
What if I said

Oh we've both had our share of loneliness
So whose to say that we can't
have a little happiness
And if I found that in you
It would make my dreams come true
Or would you walk away
Hear what I have to say

What if I told you what if I said that I love you
How would you feel what would you think
What would we do

Do we dare to cross that line
between your heart and mine
I've always wondered from the day we met
What if I said
What if I said
What if I said

Added 10/31/07:

*  This morning, there was a construction crew working on the roof next door, and they had the radio going and this song was playing- The Beatle's "Here Comes the Sun."  We use to dance to this song.  It's my favorite and he liked it too :-).  He was after all "Mornin' News."

Click here to hear it as a .wav file.

And no, I'm not a good dancer, but he didn't care.  He wasn't all that graceful either, for those that recall his bar-knocking agility days.  We would camp with our friend, Ben, and his 2 GSDs, Mason and Ashara, at agility trials.  Re & I slept in a tent, Ben and his pups in his truck.  Many mornings, Regal and I would get up, to see the sun rise, over the agility field, dew or better yet FROST! glistening on the a-frame, and I'd just start singing this in my head and hum it through out the day, even if it started to rain. 

*  A few days ago, someone and I were playing a "definitions" game and they asked me what my definition of love was.  The 1st word out of my mouth and in my head, was "brown."  i.e. Regal.

*  My mom and I picked Re up at Logan International Airport, in early September 1998.  Oct 31, 1998 was his 1st holiday in Massachusetts.  He wasn't dressed up, just played the "cute puppy."  We had a number of trick-or-treaters that year, and Re and I froze on the front porch so he could get puppy socialization time.  He was a good sport, and happy to get a treat for sitting from anyone.  This time of year, was also pumpkin picking.  He had soo much fun, every year that we went, zooming down the rows of pumpkins, grabbing one along the way, making it "his pumpkin."  Of course I'd buy it for him and he'd carry it around anytime allowed for weeks.  The photo below was taken at his 2nd pumpkin patch outing at about a year of age.

*  Here is a photo from our very 1st agility trial, the NOMAD NADAC trial in Stowe, VT in August 2000.  It's funny, the 1st agility trial shot I have of Regal was by Tien Tran, and the last, by the same woman.  (we all know where Niche gets the 'flying ears' from now, don't we :-)).  And yes, I think he actually DID make it over that jump, without knocking the bar!  At that NOMAD trial were a bunch of ACT-Up members (my agility club), and they all chipped in to get this photo of Re, for me, as a surprise.  Good group of folks. 

And here is the last, in April 2006, him as a Veteran, at the MAP NADAC trial:

*  A group and I were talking about the fire whistle that goes off here in town and I was telling them about "Regal Beagle."  Yes, my flat-coat howled with the best of them.  It started with just the fire engines, then it was at the fire whistle, because he knew what would come next.  He would also howl in his sleep, there were a number of nights that I woke up out of a dead sleep, because of this god awful noise!  It was him, sound asleep, I'd have to nudge him to wake him up and get him to stop.

*  I'm pretty sure I am the only person in the entire Foxboro High School history that ever had a year book photo with their dog.  He always fit his name, "Regal" didn't he?

*  The 1st and only major I have put on a dog so far.  See folks, I CAN dress up nice! :-)  He was so handsome.  We went BOW at the Turkey Cluster from the 12-18m class, for a 4pt major.  I think we won our Jrs class that day too.  The judge was Ms Estelle Cohen.  I will never forget her, her smiling face, as she pointed to us in the winners line up.  I was shocked!  I didn't think she really, truly meant us!

Send all comments to katrin@maplewooddog.com

Copyright (c) 2007-2008 Maplewood Flat-Coated Retrievers

No artwork, photos or writings to be reproduced without author permission