Our furniture was picked up from the house in Augusta, Georgia on April 11, 2007; and Edward and Nancy drove us down to St Pete. The boys had a few days to use the whole apartment as their playground as our furniture was to arrive in two more days. The camera caught the boys’ shadows as they engaged in their favorite game, Bite the Snout. As long as our boys are together and with us, they don’t care where we take them.
Rehab paid for Wil to take two classes at Freedom Scientific in April of 2005 in hopes that it would boost his potential with training in his own business after his graduation from Augusta Tech. Mom and Dad drove me and Titan down to visit him over the weekend in between the two classes. We visited John’s Pass as tourists and ate at the Friendly Fisherman. Delicious!!! Little did we know we would be relocating here in the not too distant future.
Max looks utterly exhausted in this picture. You might think that he and Wil ran a marathon on Friday. NOT!!! Both boys did get a good worikout on Friday as we ran all over town; but to see him on the couch, you might wonder otherwise. That couch is definitely a great sleeper! And, it is about worn out.
I wrote the followin on April 8, 2002 and want to share it here. I sent it to Leader Dogs and it was published in an issure of Leader Dog Update.
It was truly a hard day in January that Sippi died after a very short bout with one of the most aggressive cancers, lymphatic sarcoma, that a dog can get. My poor smug nine and a half year little old man had no choice but to say goodbye. Grief stricken, I headed off to Leader Dog to train with my second guide. When asked if I would accept another Golden Retriever, I gladly said ‘yes’. I wanted the best match possible. On February 13, I sat on my bed after lunch waiting for my new arrival. I felt quite lonely without Sippi and also a little guilty for moving on without him. For more than seven years, Sippi was my constant companion, partner, friend, and guide. There is no love like that between guide dog and handler. Waiting in the room with me were some visitors observing dog issue day. It helped pass the time to share a picture of Sippi with them as well as stories of our life together. Leader Dog president, Bill Hansen, appeared in the doorway to tell me that I was getting a southern dog with the appropriate accent in his bark when Sue brought Titan in. There he was, a smaller, more golden Golden Retriever. At sixteen months and fifty-five pounds, excited Titan bounced around with all the puppy energy he could muster. Wagging his seventeen inch tail, Titan greeted everyone in the room. They doted over him like people dote over a newborn baby. Then we were left alone to get acquainted. I loved him from the moment I saw him. He paced around like a confused boy separated from his trainer, Sue Horn. He accepted my pets and love and sat in my lap between bouts of pacing. He listened to my stories about Sippi and our life together. He accepted me as his new person fairly quickly. It had been years since I had a puppy and Titan had no problems showing me how it was done. He is very vocal like my little dog that passed in 2001. With toys in mouth he expresses himself in the woo-woo language of the Golden Retriever. He has fit right into my life and has adapted well. Born from Leader Dog breeders, Whistler and Jackson, and raised by Leader Dog Puppy Raiser, Diane Prieskorn and family, Titan was predestined to be a guide. He is very focused in his harness making him an excellent guide. He also loves the socialization he gets while on tie down in the office and in the nursery with the children. Titan is all puppy at home and provides hours of entertainment clowning around with his toys. Sometimes I think he channels the spirit of Sippi. That Hoover nose starts working on the kitchen floor and he occasionally checks out the bathroom trash can. Titan, being the huge love sponge that he is, has helped ease the pain of loosing Sippi. He is my match made in heaven. Only God knew that Sue was training Titan for me while Sippi was ill and dying. This week, Titan will accompany me to Hunting Island, SC where I will release Sippi’s ashes to the ocean. I still miss Sippi more than words can express and my heart still aches from the pain. The circle of life goes on and Sippi made his part in my life very full. I am looking forward to many more years of that same independence and fullness of life with Titan.
Until next time…
The boys love each other. They love to tug on woobies. Sometimes this results in a heinous murder scene with woobie guts strewn everywhere. It still amazes me how much fluffy woobie guts fit inside one of those creatures along with its squeaker. The duck in the picture did not live to see St. Petersburg.
Titan and Max wait patiently in the back of a friend’s car while gas and goods were purchased for a day at John’s Pass. My sister and niece visited for Thanksgiving in 2007. On this day, we ventured to John’s Pass to shop; ate at the Friendly Fisherman; and enjoyed a beautiful sunset on the Gulf of Mexico beach.
Adriennah has always loved dogs and loves to pretend that she is one. Thanksgiving of 2006 brought the Bennetts down from Albany and Wil up from St. Petersburg. That was our last holiday season in the Schley Street house in Augusta, Georgia.
It was a common occurance during our visit to Albany in September of 2008 for the Bennett pussy, Princess, and Max to tantilize, tease, and chase each other all over the house. They provided all of us with hours of entertainment.
This is a picture of Titan stretching excitedly after I announced “Feed the dog!” He is very vocal and animated anyway; but when I mention food, he stretches very deliberately and stiffly like a giant cat and approaches me with little growls and grins.
Max waits patiently for me to get off my ass and feed him and Titan. I like to announce ‘feed the dog’ around their dinner time. They usually start begging and wooing at me. Tonight, Max decided to sit pretty behind his daddy, look sweet, and waited patiently. They are so rotten!!! We sure love our boys!!
