RememberiNg an old friend...

We are so busy during the year here that often times there isn't an opportunity to reflect on the events that occur.  The passing of our beautiful golden, Taylor was just such an event.  Taylor was a rescue dog that came to us in March 2004.  We were having a difficult time keeping deer off the property so I went to the Animal Shelter to find "a dog"  (any kind of dog capable of leaving his smell around the property in the hope that it would keep the deer out of the yard).

After scouting all of the dogs at the shelter, I was unable to find one that I thought would do the job!  I was crossing the parking lot when a shelter employee yelled over to me that she had forgotten someone!  There she stood with this lovely golden boy on a leash.  Taylor had just been neutered and was in recovery so he hadn't been in his cage when I went through the Shelter.

I am a sucker for golden retrievers and knew in an instant that this was our boy!  After signing the appropriate "adoption" papers, Taylor and I were off for his new home.   The folks at the Shelter estimated that he was about two years old but they knew nothing of his history.  He had been found wandering along a busy road in a nearby community and had been taken to the Shelter.  

And so began Taylor's adventures at Beech Springs Farm...  Taylor was a curious dog!  From the day that I brought him home, he always made his presence known.  I think he must have been neglected at his prior home because he never tired of being petted.  And if you tried to stop, he made it known that he wasn't done yet!  He'd push his nose under your hand and bump it up in the air to let you know that he wanted more.   He was also a howler!  Shortly after I brought him home from the animal shelter, I was in the barn when I heard a blood curdling howl.  Thinking something had happened to him, I ran outside and found him under one of our pine trees with his head in the air singing to the heavens..  In the beginning it was the sound of a wolf but over the years he perfected his howl and it became a series of crescendos.  We never were able to determine why he did it but it mostly happened when he was by himself.  I think he was trying to tell us that he didn't like being alone.

We had an invisible fence installed shortly after Taylor arrived.  Taylor had proven himself to be a wanderer, often disappearing to neighboring properties.  At first the fence seemed to solve the problem but it didn't take long for him to figure out if he ran fast, the shock wasn't too bad and off he'd go to investigate the woods and fields.  Often times we would find him wandering back down our main road.  Even though he had escaped by going thru the fence, he couldn't figure out how to get back in because he knew he would get shocked agin.

Whether chasing the Canadian Geese that land on the pond, catching fish and frogs, mooching meals or digging up veggies in my garden, Taylor made our lives much richer.     The gentlest of dogs, his presence was undeniable!!  

We love you Taylor.  You will be sorely missed!!  

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A Golden Serenade

The Bean Boy.  
​Green beans were Taylor's favorite.