Post by jiffer on Sept 30, 2008 13:12:00 GMT -5
Orion has a different story from the rest of my crew.
Shortly after I brought Icarus home, Bill had contacted me about Atlas who had arrived at GRA from Hinsdale. It was fortuitous that we were able to meet a littermate, let alone adopt one as well. In the email about Atlas, Bill had given me the list of Icarus' siblings and their locations.
This is the main body of his email (yes Bill, I still have that email):
There were 9 Jahoda dogs in Richie's litter. There are hundreds
of Greyhounds with the "Jahoda" first name. That is a kennel
name so all the dogs are not related. Your boys litter includes:
Jahoda Airmax - adopted thru GRA and living in Markham
" Clark - adopted thru GRA and transfer to Montreal
" Elect - still racing at Hinsdale as of Apr/04
" Lady - still racing at Hinsdale as of Apr/04
" Limon - at Hinsdale but not raced recently
" Maxwell - adopted thru GRA and transfer to Montreal
" Remy - all races at Geneva Lakes, WI. location unknown
" Richie - I guess you know where he is
" Spanky - just arrived here tonight from Hinsdale
Also in this load was Jadoda Chevy. He is a 5 year old brindle boy,
a half brother to the above dogs. Same mom, different dad.
of Greyhounds with the "Jahoda" first name. That is a kennel
name so all the dogs are not related. Your boys litter includes:
Jahoda Airmax - adopted thru GRA and living in Markham
" Clark - adopted thru GRA and transfer to Montreal
" Elect - still racing at Hinsdale as of Apr/04
" Lady - still racing at Hinsdale as of Apr/04
" Limon - at Hinsdale but not raced recently
" Maxwell - adopted thru GRA and transfer to Montreal
" Remy - all races at Geneva Lakes, WI. location unknown
" Richie - I guess you know where he is
" Spanky - just arrived here tonight from Hinsdale
Also in this load was Jadoda Chevy. He is a 5 year old brindle boy,
a half brother to the above dogs. Same mom, different dad.
So the quest began. Lady arrived three weeks after Atlas came home with us. I just didn't have the money (Rene was in school and I was only working on contract) so we met and spent some time with her. She headed to Brandon, MB, shortly after.
I made the decision then not to pass up the chance for another littermate.
Elect and Limon were the only two I could find that could possibly be available. Limon, however, disappeared. Elect was still racing at Hinsdale so I focused on him. I had a chat with Bill that if he came to GRA that I would take him sight unseen.
I watched his race card and on nights when he'd run, I would load up on my computer and watch the choppy, blurry race. Those first images of him... seeing him race... was such an experience.
Over a year had passed since I made the decision to bring him home and I started to lose faith that he would be retiring. He was almost six years old and STILL on the track.
Echo came home on May 8, 2005 and on that very day, Orion raced his last race.
Bill brought him and 23 others to GRA on September 25... and I got the call... some of you have also received that call... "Hi, this is Elect calling. I'd really like to meet you, Icarus, Atlas and Echo. Give Bill a call".
I don't think Bill's receiver had a chance to cool when I called him back to say that we'd be there. The crew met and it was like brothers being reunited.
He wasn't like the others. He's not outgoing, not shy. He has a gentle, curious nature about him. He greets everyone by smelling their faces and their hair. Once he "gets to know you", you might get a stealthy, gentle kiss.
It took him 2 years to voluntarily snuggle with people, not to mention getting up on the furniture.
He is also a guard dog... specifically, MY guard dog. He has more than once shown a tendency to protect me... standing between me and a stranger talking to me on the street. Though he gets confused if he's "protecting" me from Rene... in which case, he starts nibbling on me. Nothing worse than being tickled and nibbled at the same time.
The point of this long diatribe...
Happy Gotcha Day, Oreo-Cookie! We hope we have many many more to share with you!