Tuesday SOL 4/18/17 - Max - November 11, 2001 to April 12, 2017

Max has written for me a number of times over the past six years and it is with tears in my eyes and a heavy heart that I write this tribute to Max.  He left us last Wednesday and there is a great void in our lives.  Over the past few days, Hubby and I have been reminiscing about the joy and fun that Max brought to us each day for the past 15-1/2 years.

We brought him home in June, 2002. He was met by the King of the House at that time, Fuzzy our cat.  They stared at each other.  As Max got closer to Fuzzy, there was a very loud hiss and then a slap on the nose.  Max jumped back and tried to decide what this creature was.  But, it became a fast and true friendship.

In his early years, Max loved to run and play and of course, chase squirrels up the trees.  At first he couldn't figure out where they had gone, but when they started chattering at him, he looked up and just stared.  He became our "Arkansas purebred squirrel dog" (really part Cocker Spaniel mixed with something else).   The first time he saw a rabbit, he chased it and then stopped at the first tree looking upward, but nothing. He was at a loss as to where that silly rabbit went to.

He usually stayed pretty close to home, but several times he decided to wonder. One time he just walked into our neighbor's house - the door was open - so in he went.  Sandra was very surprised when she entered the kitchen to find Max sitting there waiting patiently.  

Another time he took off into the woods.  We called and searched and finally said "he'll come back eventually".  And he did - covered in little green seed pods that stuck to his fur.  He wasn't a happy camper when we brushed him!

And then there was the time we got a call from the resort down the street asking us to please come and get Max.  They were pouring a cement drive and Max leisurely walked thru the wet cement.  When the guys yelled at him, he promptly walked back across the drive.  Fortunately it was not real mushy and he didn't have much stick to his paws.

One day we were sitting on the porch.  He was supposedly sleeping with one eye open and saw the fox trotting down the road.  He jumped and leaped across the front yard and hit the fox head on.  The fox rolled and was gone in a flash.  Max trots back to the porch, shaking his head and looking at me as if to say, "I did my job!  He's gone!".

Then there was the day we went to the river to go canoeing.  He hadn't been near water except to drink it, so he was very hesitant about sticking his paws in the water.  He lifted each leg high not wanting to get too wet, but....

Wet he got.  Especially when Mom wasn't doing her job and we ran into the bank.  Out he jumped!  What a great time we had!  We took him out on the lake after that, but it took a lot of encouragement to get him to jump off the boat. When he got in the water, he promptly swam to me and tried to get on top of the float that I was using.

He loved playing in the snow when we got some.  He would bury his nose and run.  Blowing out puffs of snow as he went.

When Fuzzy was still with us, they would both sit by me, Fuzzy on the arm of my chair and Max on the floor.  They waited patiently while I finished my bowl of ice cream.  Fuzzy got the first licks and then it was Max's turn.  He sat looking at Fuzzy and saying "will you hurry up and be sure to leave me something!"  

So many other stories and memories of this adorable pooch.  We'll always remember the joy that he brought into our lives and we'll miss him, but know that he is now pain free and happy romping around with his friends and chasing squirrels.