Boji was our first child. A big brother. Mighty hunter. Barn Buddy. Protector. Super fetcher. Ice cream loving, mans best friend. He had a wicked tail and a heart of gold. For almost 14 years, that yellow face was the silent joy and ever-faithful companion in our lives.
I was in college when I mentioned to my dad that I would really like to get a dog. I was looking for a good family dog and something I could learn to hunt with. With the help of my dad, trading some of his artistic talents, and Joan's keen eye for a great pup, they hand selected Boji for me out of a wild litter of purebred labs.
My dear friend Alicia and I made the eleven hour drive to Webb, Iowa to retrieve my very own, blonde, roly poly pup. We found him and his litter mates out behind a farm building. The moment the puppies saw us, they attacked! Alicia and I were jumped on, chewed on and swallowed by this feisty band of siblings. I immediately started having seconds thoughts. Maybe I wasn't ready to take on a rowdy puppy and all of this chaos.
My Dad assured me that my pup would be a very different puppy once we got him alone and away from his litter mates. With hesitation, I scooped him up and took Okoboji Yellow Chaos home! First thing first, we had to get the farm smell off of him!
My dad was right. Alone, "Boji" was the sweetest puppy I had ever seen. He was so smart. I was so excited to call him mine.
Half way across Nebraska on I-80, a warning light popped up on my dashboard. What on Earth could that be for? Alicia was busy trying to find the warning light description in the owner's manual when we heard this yelping under the passenger seat. She reached under her seat for Boji and as she lifted him up we could see he had all of these little wires in his mouth.
Long story short, Boji was not sleeping. Boji had been chewing on some wires under the passenger seat to keep himself busy. Some of those said wires happened to be part of the control box for the airbag deployment system. Several hundred dollars later and the mechanic still has no idea how the airbags were not deployed while we were traveling about 80 mph on the highway.
Handy Man was adamant that he did not want me to get a dog.
He swore that if I got a puppy, he would never help me take care of it. He would not be responsible for my dog.
Anyone who knows Handy Man knows he has the squishiest heart. Boji won Handy Man over instantly. The day after I had brought Boji home, I came back from classes and Boji was "helping" Handy Man with his homework.
He also liked to help Handy Man fix things around the barn. They were instant buddies.
I used to joke that if Handy Man and I ever broke up, I would have to tie a t-bone steak around my neck to get him to choose me to live with.
Boji loved Handy Man with all that he had.
Boji was a mighty hunter.
A weekend warrior every Thanksgiving, Boji would hunt so hard that his face would be covered in scabs and bloody from pushing through the thickest of brush. He would curl up on his bed each night, barely be able to walk or lift his head with exhaustion. By morning, he was ready to hit the trail of birds again. He lived for our annual Iowa vacations.
A large foundation of Handy Man and my relationship revolved around that yellow dog and bird hunting in Iowa.
Boji was the best big brother!
From the first day we brought our Brown Eyed Girl home, Boji knew that she belonged to us. She belonged to him. Boji was never far from our Brown Eyed Girls side.
Always her constant guard.
In fact, when people would visit our baby Brown Eyed Girl, Boji was so glued to her side that it almost made some family members a bit nervous. He was forever her protector with a watchful eye.
He was ever patient, ever loving. An excellent playmate as the kids got older.
A classic story. One that survives all time.
Just a boy and his dog.
Since Mr Blue Eyes has been able to walk, each and every morning he would wake with the sun and seek out his dog for a morning snuggle. Quiet petting time where these two souls would share their silent secrets.
Mr Blue Eyes has always loved taking care of Boji.
What I wouldn't give for this boy to have another 10 years with his bird dog.
One of my favorite memories was the night our two-year-old Mr Blue Eyes tried to work with Boji and the retrieving dummy. I laughed so hard at his determination, frustrations and Boji's innocent interaction with his boy. It is a memory I will never forget.
For the last couple of years, Mr Blue Eyes has lovingly referred to himself as "A Dog Person." I hope he always has a love for dogs. I hope he never forgets that Boji was his first dog, the maker of all that love and confidence to call himself "A Dog Person."
Boji loved ice cream.
Boji loved to beg.
Handy Man was the only one who allowed it and Boji knew it.
And thanks to these two, my children also learned to beg for ice cream and tidbits at an early age!
Boji was never far from the food source that's for sure. If I must be honest, I never realized how filthy my children were at eating - until Boji was gone. I miss that little head near the dinner table. I really miss that yellow vacuum more.
Boji loved going to the cabin.
He was part of the original building crew and it was dirty work.
We had so many great adventures with him up at the cabin.
I will never forget all of these moments we shared with Boji. But the most special, a memory I alone will always appreciate, is that Boji was my Barn Buddy. Boji fed horses with me every morning and every evening of his life. He bathed in the sun while I cleaned stalls. Followed me out to the pastures while I drove the tractor. Boji was excellent around the horses, quiet and watchful.
I spent a few months after college training horses full time in Franktown, CO. Boji was able to go to work with me every day. I know that those were some of his favorite days spent with me. He sat shotgun in the truck, was loved and spoiled by all the lesson kids and was by my side every day, all day.
The last year things began to change for Boji. He had finally lost his hearing. He was starting to lose his eyesight. His aches and pains started to give away his age. He started having other heath issues like dementia, gastric and breathing problems. We prolonged things as long as we could with the help of our amazing vets. Eventually, Handy Man and I had to make a very difficult decision. A decision that I knew would break my kids' hearts, forever.
Boji was so much to our family. He deserved to live forever but definitely did not deserve to live in pain and sickness.
On that last morning, his boy hugged him and told him he loved him as we left for school.
I came home and took Boji out to feed horses, one last time.
I let him eat all the horse poop he wanted.
He hunted rabbits while the horses ate their breakfast.
We sat in the sun one last time in silence. A peaceful, February morning where the world stopped spinning for just a little while.
Finally, we went inside and had one last bowl of cookie dough ice cream.
Boji lay down, tired from the morning outing, and we just sat there together, waiting. Garth Brooks' song The Dance came on and the tears flowed freely.
He went peacefully with Grandma Rhonda feeding him Cheerios and both of us stroking his yellow fur.
The last of his footprints have now washed away from around our yard and areas leading out to the barn.
Every day that I clean out the dryer vent I find less and less little white hairs.
We find every opportunity to remember Boji. His name is still spoken regularly. Usually by Mr Blue Eyes who unknowingly feels the need to remind me that he misses his dog.
Although I know that Boji was only a part of our lives for a while, we were part of his whole life.
It's hard to ever forget a dog who gave you so much to remember.
Boji beautiful Labrador sorry he passed away I can see he had amazing life with you and your family 💓🐕
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