Doggie Heaven.

I was still in elementary school

when we got our first dog while

we lived in the Florida Keys.

Flash was his name! He is on the

left. He is Spitz breed. He loved

to go out in the boat with us.

The only problem was, he loved

the birds. When they would

fly across the bow (while the

boat was going at full speed), he

would run from the back of the

boat and jump to the bow.

One day his feet were wet and

when he ran upon the bow,

he couldn't put on his "brakes!"

He went flying right across and

off the bow with the boat going

full speed. Dad's quick thinking

of jerking the steering to the

right, then back left had the

propeller miss hitting him.

Coming to a quick stop, we

turned around and went back

to him as he was "dog paddling"

to catch us!

*

Another thing he like to do was

stick his head under water to

pick up rocks! Along the shore

we would throw a rock. He would

stick his head under the water

(blowing bubbles through his

nose) and pick it up!

*

We then

got "Chopper" (who is in the

middle.) She is boxer/lab mix.

When Chopper came running

to you, you better move out of

her way. She didn't seem to know

to go around you! Once a friend

was walking with me and Chopper

was running at full speed. I told

her, "You better watch to move

out of her way." Before I could

finish my sentence, Chopper had

run into the back of her legs and

she went flying up into the air!

Chopper was definitely a "Bull

in a China Shop!" Ha!

*

Skeeter is their daughter. She

had Flash's color and size.

Believe it or not, Flash taught

them how to go over the

fence! Dad made some hooks

that fit on their collars. When

they would try to go over, it would

catch in the fence and prevent

them from doing so. He only put

it on them when they could be

watched from inside. He had

earlier cemented all down the

bottom of our fence, so they

couldn't dig out!

*

We were in the flight pattern

of the Navy base jets. When

they would come over, Flash

would howl. Later Chopper,

then Skeeter joined in. We

called them, "The Big Coppitt

Trio!" The name is from the

Key we lived on...

*

...46 years ago.