Today we had to say goodbye to our gentle giant, Osgood a/k/a Ozzie. Rather than focusing on his death, we wish to celebrate his impact on our lives.
We will miss his incredible bulk leaping up on his hind legs and into our out-stretched arms for a “group hug” or seeing him bound through the kitchen with his huge stuffed bone in his mouth when he heard us come home.
We will miss his persistence in getting as many belly-rubs and butt-scratches as possible, and his displays of unbelievable gentleness and patience as Allison or Mia would crawl over him, or more often than not, attempt to ride him like the horsey at Meijer.
We will miss his frantic nature when he would be outside in the backyard and yet would somehow sense that we were slicing up bell peppers in the kitchen, or his excitement when we would announce that it was Sunday, which denoted that he would receive his weekly “special treat.”
Finally, we will miss watching the unsuspecting guest sitting on the living floor as they would watch in amazement (or possibly horror) as Ozzie would back up like a semi-truck and place his incredible bulk squarely in their lap.
Despite the fact that he lived to be 12 years old and for most of his life tipped the scales between 120 and 140 pounds, Ozzie was and will always be our “puppy.” His official AKC name was actually “Cripple Creeks Golden Osgood” and his paternal grandfather was an award winning golden retriever. We will miss you big guy – thanks for being such a big part of our lives – you too will always be a winning golden retriever in our hearts. Here’s hoping that there are endless parks to frolic about and an everlasting supply of treats (and green beer) in doggy heaven.
Nothing Gold Can Stay
by Robert Frost (1874-1963)
Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.
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