Welcome to Gretchen's Rainbow Residency

Memories of Gretchen

While there is still strong debate in our home as to Gretchen being a Daddy's girl or Mommy's girl, it is clear that everyone who ever met Gretchen remembers her. Gretchen sprang into this world and it was easy to see early on that she was a lady. With obvious beauty and a habit of laying with her legs crossed as if posing for a picture, she was always ready for a photo opportunity. She loved the water early on and played in the bathtub regularly. She claimed the sofa as a pup and while she would share some space with you, it was quite clear who it belonged to, fittingly, it's where we said goodbye to her. Gretchen was known thoughout the area as she was most often at her Mom's side no matter where she went. She accompanied her Mom to work for over a year and was a frequently traveled with her Mom and was an overnight guest at hotels. While very affectionate toward people, Gretchen didn't really care for other dogs all that much. She wasn't rude, but treated other animals as if they were a little beneath her, and as I later came to realize it was mainly because she didn't know she was a dog. Her mother was single for the first 8 yrs of Gretchen life so they were quite the twosome. I have heard the stories of many times the neighbor kids would knock on her door to see if that "rot'rier" could come out and play. Her mother would look out the window to find Gretchen laying a kiddie pool with several bandana's tied around her neck, or chasing the kids in a game of tag. Over the years she had to learn to share her Mother's attention with her adopted sister "Babe", but it was obvious when she had had enough sharing. Either by being mouthy or just the opposite, which meant she would turn her back on her Mom and Babe, throw back her head and ears as if to say, "I don't even know you are here". While Gretchen rarely got table scraps she did have one weakness. A unquenchable taste for an occasional White Russian. While it was safe to leave any other beverage sitting around, if you left any drink with Kahluha down on her level it was gulped down with great vengeance. Mainly she had to settle for ice cubes with the faint taste of white russian on them, but if given the chance she would have drunk a barrel of these creamy delights. Gretchen never met a body of water that she didn't like. Pond, pool, tub or mud hole, Gretchen loved to swim and did so on many occasions. The last year of her life, she swam so much that the chlorine in our pool bleached the hair on her back red. Christmas was another one of Gretchens favorite things. She loved to open her presents and pose for pictures in her reindeer antleers and blinking red nose. I came into Gretchens life a couple of yrs ago quite by mistake after her mother and I had lost contact for over 20 yrs but from day one it was quite clear that she loved her new Daddy. It took her sister over a week to warm up to me, but Gretchen and I bonded the very first night. Gretchen loved to lay on the couch with Dad or go for a ride and get ice cream, but more than anything, she loved to swim with her Dad. She would stand and bark at the water until I would give in and swim with her even when I was too tired or the water was too cold. I bought her swim goggles for a joke, thinking they would make a good photo, and she loved them, swam in them, and lounged by the side of the pool with them propped up on her forehead. Her legs were quite arthritic in the last yrs of her life and the swimming seemed to help. Her legs would get tired before she was ready to get out of the pool so I would have to sit and hold her in the pool until she had caught her breath and was ready for a few more laps. We shared the same straw hat and sunglasses, and they always looked better on her. She would float for hrs on a raft in the pool and hated when we made her get out. Last fall when Gretchen and I took our last swim for they year her Mom commented that due to her arthritis that it might be the last swim she ever took. I bristle at the comment and would not even think about it. She got through the winter pretty well and was on new medication. She was so excited the day we opened the pool, and unfortunately due to the chemicals, was unable to take the first swim of the season. I had just brought her a new pair of swim goggles and she proudly wore them around the house. Sadly, she never got the chance to wear them in the pool. The picture on her urn is of her on her float in the pool with her sunglasses and a huge straw hat, and that is how I will always remember her. We have all cried alot since she passed and laughed at silly stories about her. We miss her terribly. I know in my heart that her little legs aren't hurting her anymore - that she is running the fields in heaven, and I am sure she is the last one out of the Lord's pool!

Gretchen's People Parent(s), Jayne & Bill, would appreciate knowing you have visited their Baby's Residency. Click here to Email Jayne & Bill a message, or to send a sympathy card click here. Email this page to a friend.

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