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| Sparkle Plenty II and her new pal, Molly |
Dad pulled in the driveway
Parked and headed toward the house
It was his son's birthday
His son ran to the door
Wondering if there was a surprise
His Dad said,
"Oh! I forgot my jacket in the back seat."
Could you run and get it?
His son headed for the back seat
Opened the door
And under the jacket was Sparkle Plenty
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| A quiet moment together |
A black and white cocker spaniel
Circa 1986 -
Remembering his father's tactics
He pulled up to the house
On his son's 6th birthday
His wife and son met him at the front door
He said, "Oh, I forgot my jacket in the back seat.
Could you run and get it please?"
(He was a lot more polite than his father.)
His son headed for the back seat
Opened the door
And under the jacket was Sparkle Plenty II
A black Schnauzer
Circa 1998 -
He pulled into his driveway
On his daughter's 10th birthday
His wife and daughter met him at the front door
He said, "Oh, I forgot my jacket in the back seat.
Could you run and get it please?"
His daughter headed for the back seat
Opened the door
And under the jacket was Molly Campbell
A Golden Retriever
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| A smooch for the hound |
Her parents had heard
A dog... like a Goldy
Is good medicine
To help keep a growing daughter well grounded
That wasn't true
A Goldy is good medicine
To keep an entire family well grounded
Molly's mission as a puppy
Was to cut her teeth
On every piece of antique oak furniture
In the family dining area
When she turned two
She was satisfied with the development of her canines
So she quit chewing
And her family took the table, chairs and other items
To a local business that dutifully restored them
Sparkle Plenty II was still around
So Molly made it her duty
To invite Sparkle to play
Every Day
And every day
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| A little respite under the mulberry tree |
She did not intend to play
The uneven truce
With a pact of tolerance
Lasted for several years
To the fifteenth and final year
Of Sparkle's great life
From that point
Molly assumed full control
Of the Campbell's back yard
And large sections
Of the American River Bike trail
Through her life
She was known for her gentleness
And her love for people
She inspired the saying that
"The only person she loved more than her family
Was the next person she saw,"
If you were ever part of the wild welcome she would give visitors
You are nodding your head now in agreement
Her life became dedicated
To activities that brought joy to her
And all she came in contact with
Chasing tennis balls thrown about
The famous NorCal Campbell Ranch
Catching and playing with wild game
(occasionally too hard)
*The Golden 'Cereal' Killer
Swimming in the American River
With Tyler and pals
Working the fast current instinctively… expertly
Jogging the American River Trail
Hundreds of miles with Tom
(Tom called it jogging... it was more like shuffling)
And she just walked along side
*Old Dogs
Swimming in her own personal swimming pool
(all humans allowed)
*Molly Phelps-Torres Campbell
Spending time with Julieann
Watching over her, and with her as she
Tended to her often absent family
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| Pals |
When she accepted a biscuit
From her Campbell family
She wouldn’t think of quickly grabbing it
Then gulping it down on the spot
She had to take it
With the gentlest touch
Not pulling away until she sensed
You were releasing your grip
Then walking to the back door
To be let out to the backyard
Where she would lay down
Treat still cradled softly in her mouth
(once in a while the tell-tale drool leaking a wisp to the side…
just like Tom lately)
Then after slowly surveying the south forty
She would carefully break up the biscuit
And take her time enjoying each morsel
She filled our lives with tenderness and joy
Every day of her life
Never a down day
Never a lapse
Every single day
Last Monday
She and Tom
Did a commemorative
Mile and a half walk
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| A great lady in her element |
She sniffed to her heart's content
And marked her territory once more
Wednesday, she was struck swiftly
With a massive infection
And went on a journey
That took her to the
UC Davis Veterinary Center ICU
By early Thursday morning
They did a wonderful job
Trying to save her
But it was time for her to go
She would have been fourteen
Lord Have Mercy.
Lord Have Mercy.
Lord Have Mercy.
4 comments:
Amen, Tom! Beautiful!!
May
Molly also enriched the lives of those she only saw briefly. Your story of her life has got me misty. I hope I don't short out the keyboard. She was loving, she was at peace always. No reason to think she is any different now. When I told Dakota he said "But I missed her" I knew he meant he didn't get to say goodbye. He didn't get to play ball with her one more time. He didn't get to share a pillow for a nap. But none of us would give up the hurt we feel now for the love she showed us when we were with her.
What a wonderful journey! You guys gave her a beautiful life & she brought beauty into your lives. Thanks for sharing, Tom! Molly was a very lucky & loved member of the family.
locase
Post Script: Molly came home yesterday for the final time. Her ashes will rest in two places; very near her own personal swimming pool in her back yard under the cork oak tree near Sparkle Plenty II, and along her beloved American River Bike Trail where she and Tom logged so many miles and had so many adventures. Yes, no one animal, person or dog, deserves this run-on sentence as much as she does.
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