TO FRANK
The things I will remember about the bestest little dog in the world that went to Heaven on March 27, 2023
The first time I saw you, you were looking out the window of the home next to us that you and our son, Tyler, shared. You were watching us do chores and how happy you were when your Mom (Delora) came to get you to spend the day with us, which lasted another 11-1/2 years. My fondest memory was the white strip running down your precious face.
Hearing your bark when I drive into the driveway & you sitting by the door wiggling all over & a race to get your ball so we can play. After all, you were in the entertainment business and just doing your job.
The way you would cock your head when somebody would say the word, Frisbee, your most favorite of all toys.
How you would hide your toys so we would have to go on a treasure hunt to find them; under the bed, in the haystack, anywhere in The Barn (where you and Mom and David conducted our business). David finally put up Frank Prevention Devices all over to keep you from hiding your ball and Frisbee in impossible places to retrieve them. This was one of the first games you invented.
“PEEK’ was another of your games you taught us to play in house. You would deposit your waffle ball someplace close to us and hide behind the counter (your favorite place to watch us from) that separates the kitchen from the living room. We would pick up the ball and holler “PEEK” and you would run back to the bedrooms and stick your head around the other corner to see if we were looking back at yout then immediately return to the living room where we would throw the ball for you to catch. Thank you for training us on how to play the game by your rules.
The “long facet‘ you would give us when we had to leave you home and said to you, “We’ll be right back, Frank.”
How you loved to ride EVERYTHING: The tractor, the 4-wheelers, the pipe trailer, the golf cart at The Barn, the sled we would pull you around in when walking became difficult for you and recently, David was telling us a story about you and him driving the Bobcat together (we were not aware of this event and how difficult it would be for David to operate the controls with a Partner on-board).
How you always loved to help us irrigate the pasture. Your watchful eye as we set-up all the pipe and how you would sit by the sprinklers after we turned the water on, listening as the air escaped the pipe and the water finally came spraying out of the nozzles. You would run up and down the line checking to make sure everyone of the sprinklers was turning by biting at the water. And how you chased the water going around in circles. Seems like you would always draw a crowd of folks passing by and they would stop their cars to watch you work.
Another game, “Get the Hose.” Whenever we got a hose out to do anything with and your antics when the water came flowing out. You would stand over the top of the sprinkler and bite the water coming out of it. So entertaining.
Snow was never an obstacle, rather something fun to run through and dig tunnels in.
“Get the cat” game would get you to run all over the yard looking for it. Sometimes, your
Mom would substitute “Cat” with “Rabbit.”
Whenever we would say, Meow” or 0uch” to get you to come to us.
How you had your Pack: Mon, me, David, and Tyler.
How excited you would get when we would say, “You want to go swimming?” And when we would say, “Blaster” for the tennis ball shooter; that was good whether we were in the yard, on the bank of a lake or in the boat. How you would go flying of the deck of the boat when we shot a tennis ball and the little life preserver you wore that had a handle on it so we could grab you out of the water.
And the counter in the kitchen also has an Eight fixture with a clear glass covering and you would watch the reflection to get a jump start when we would throw your ball over the counter for you to chase. Took us a while to discover how you was getting a jump start on us. Clever.
How you would patiently wait while I put on my coveralls and boots to got “Do Chores.” You loved being a part of our work.
No matter where you went on the property, you always carried your Frisbee just in case we needed to throw it.
The ball David would bounce against the wall at The Barn and all your acrobatics to catch it. You entertained us and plenty of our customers who came to the Office.
How you would let everyone know that leaning over your Mom at her desk, or on the golf
Cart or when I would bend down to kiss her goodbye for the day, was totally unacceptable. And how that one day you nipped me on the leg and left two tiny puncture wounds that turned into a tattoo that I will cherish the rest of my days.
You riding on the special deck we made on the 4-wheeler for you to ride on when we went on vacation…and how your Mom would hold you when you just got too tired to stay awake.
How your Mom would say, “Working Walk” when you were on a leash and how proud you were of yourself and the special gait you had when you knew everyone was looking at you.
And the time you wore your red bowtie to the Corgi parade in Fort Collins. That day, you were Frank Sinatra.
How you would run to the door and start barking when we would say, “Who is it!”
And the special bark you had to let us know an intruder was present.
How we would “sing” together first things in the morning. And then. how you decided to take up talking all the time. Especially when you wanted to be included in everything we were doing and didn’t think we were paying enough attention to you. Your extensive knowledge of the human vocabulary. Amazing,
How you always made eye contact.
Playing volleyball and you could bounce the ball back to us, most times with the ball never touching the floor.
How thunder became your nemesis later in life and how you would seek me out for company and reassurance that everything is going to be OK.
How you would bite at the windshield wipers and how you reacted to the drive through car wash.
The day the cows scared you. You abandoned me and ran all the way back to the house without even looking back.
How you would look down at me between the bridge planks when I was replacing them.
When you and your Mon went to puppy obedience class. We were amazed at how much WE learned! And how you were the class clown and how often you were made the example of what the instructor was teaching.
When you went with Tyler to see Grandpa Elmer at the assisted living place and you were 86’d from the Dining area. And how you went to see Granma Jan at the same place and were always a welcome sight for all the residents, as-long-as you refrained from entering the Dining room.
And when you would go with me to my office, and how all work there was replaced with playing ball with you.
How your Mom and I became invisible when we were in public together. You got ALL the attention.
How I could always find your Mom, no matter where we were as all I had to do was find you and she would be close, under your watchful eye.
How you would flap your ears first thing after getting out of your bed in the mornings.
Oh, and the bed, how we took you to Cabelals and you shopped through everything they had to offer, and you laid down in the one you had chosen. Of course, it was the most expensive, but nothing was too much for you.
And in the evenings, if I wanted to get your attention to go outside, all I had to do was shake the handle on the lamp stand next to my chair and no matter where you were, you would come running as you were pretty sure, that is where the laser light was stored. We finally had to remove the laser light due to how it made you so crazy trying to chase it down, but you maintained your hope we would get it out again.
When I would get the toaster out and how you would get so excited, running all around shaking your ball. We think it was the glow of the toaster in the reflection of the glass that reminded you of the laser that got you so wound up.
How doing the evening dishes was the same time we were supposed to be throwing the ball for you.
How you would set and watch your Mom put on her make-up every morning because you knew, as soon as she was done, you were going to go somewhere and do something with her. We have determined that you have over 200,000 miles traveling with her in the car.
How you would put yourself to bed around 10:00 pm every night. So, when did you learn to read a clock?
When we would go to Pet Smart. you would go shopping. You knew where everything was but most importantly, where they kept the Frisbees. You would pick one out and proceed to checkout and would show it to the cashier and carry it all the way to the car.
How you would get so excited when kids would show up and how you could keep them entertained.
When I would take a shower, I am convinced you would count how many times I would open and close the shower curtain. Upon closing it for the last time, I would hear you bark and run to the door where you would deposit your ball and then run and hide behind the counter where you would patiently wait for me to exit the bathroom and throw the ball for you to chase.
Watching you eat a baby ice cream cone and how you would go cross-eyed looking at it.
When you & your Mom would arrive at The Barn, how you would jump out of the car and race to find David. When you would find him, you would flatten your ears back and were so happy to see him. And how David would always say, “FRANKY.”
You brought us so much joy, entertainment, unconditional love, and companionship. We can’t thank you enough for sharing our lives together.
Love You Frank, our bestest little buddy.