I Remember Snowball

I was looking through some old files and found the button above. My friend Lynn made this for me from a photo, just after our dog Snowball passed away.

In the fall of 1987, my daughter, Michelle, and I decided we would like to have a dog. We went to the pet store at the local mall and they had some beautiful puppies that they described as American Eskimo. We decided that the male was the pup for us.

As we left the mall with our little bundle of fur, it was snowing hard. Since he was pure white, Michelle chose the name of Snowball.

Snowball was a hard puppy to train. I was driving cab and working the swing shift, which was 11 am to 2 pm. Michelle was still going to school and also working at KFC. Snowball was left alone much of the time and he certainly knew how to get into mischief.

After he was trained, he was a delight to us. Michelle has a photo of him jumping on her head while she was sleeping. I took the photo. I will ask her to scan it and post it on her blog.

I remember one winter when Snowball got out of the fenced yard after we'd moved to another property. Hubby and I went searching for him. A snow plow was backing down the side street and there was Snowball chasing it and barking for all he was worth. I was afraid that the plow would move forward and he would be gone, but that didn't happen. The snow plow driver saw us coming and stopped to find out what was happening.

Another time Snowball got out of the fence and we found him across the park right in the middle of a main intersection, going in circles. He had traffic stopped all four ways. What an experience.

Despite his adventureous nature, Snowball lived to be 13 years old. In the spring of 2000, he started peeing in the house, which he had never done. The vet told us that he had blood in his urine. He gave him a round of antibiotics. When they were finished, Snowball had to go back for another test. There was no blood. Have you ever tried getting a urine sample from a male dog. Well...that is another story.

In September, Snowball once again had blood in his urine. He was diagnosed with Renal Kidney Disease and the vet warned us that his time with us was almost over. He died in November 2000.

It wasn't long until Meeko came into our lives and then a little more than eight years later, he too has crossed Rainbow Bridge and now we have Dakota. Be assured that one dog doesn't replace another, but each find a special place in your heart. Today, I remember Snowball, who was a great companion and a good protector. I always felt safe with him in the house and I know he would have given his life for me. Rest in Peace, Old Friend, and know that I will never forget you.

If you would like to join the I Remember When meme, please visit Speaking from the Heart. It's a lot of fun stepping back in time through our memories.