Meet Geronimo

Meet the newest member of our family!

Say hello to Geronimo!

I am convinced that sometimes life just smiles on you. It's those moments in life when you make a split second decision and the very choice you made turns out to be providence. This is the beginning of Geronimo's life story; it all began with a split second crazy choice and the more I'm around this dog the more I know the choice was indeed providence.

When I buried Goliath, I thought my heart could never love another dog more. And while my love for Geronimo is different, I have come to realize Geronimo has a heart equal to the king of all dogs Goliath.

His arrival at our house all started from my lack of wisdom one Saturday in choosing to take Deserey shopping with me in preparation for Glade's and Kelson's Sunday birthday celebration. The second mistake was pulling into the parking lot at Sportsman's Warehouse when I could clearly see yellow puppies in a pen. The second I saw those puppies I knew I would be going home with one of them. That's when I should have turned around. My instincts warned me, but I did not listen. The second Deserey spotted those dogs the whining began. Oh, the pleadings she launched and the arguments, "Come on mom, we need another outside dog." She went on and on and on. It was no use even bothering to invent some plausible debate. I'm old, I've grown weak (so my children tell me) and I have little will left in me to oppose her.

We walked over to take a look at heaven's worst temptation for a kid, a puppy. That's when my checkbook came out of my purse. Well, what can I say, he was cheap! How could I fight cheap . . . and Deserey with all of her lamenting? It was no use. I tried a little. I stalled a bit by telling the guy we'd be right back. I tried taking Des into the store, hoping the little man and his bribery would disappear while we were shopping. I prayed to God that he would help me by sending buyers to empty the pen while I was deterring my daughter and trying to purchase the word no! I looked long and hard for a gift for Glade while I tried to think of every excuse to pacify Deserey so she would stop bugging me. It was no use, when I came out of the store the man and his soft furry yellow enticements had gone no where, and there he sat now on the tailgate of his truck, with his smug little smile. I knew what he was thinking. When he saw me coming it had to be something like, "One down and only one left to go." See by the time I came out of the store there were only two puppies left and he knew very well I'd be taking one of them. Well, at least I was not the only sucker that day! I should have shopped longer.

Somehow Geronimo just picked us as we stood there in that weak moment. And before I knew it there I was standing next to Desi with a puppy in her arms and squeals of joy ringing in my ears. I'll bet you can guess where our next stop was. You got it, right next door to Sportsmans' is a pet store. After draining all the money from my wallet for everything a puppy needs, I climbed in my car and cursed Desi all the way home. I complained about how much I spent at the pet store, how much work a dog is. I also cursed her because I knew the outcome of this choice. I know dogs die and oh the torture after you have given them your heart.

All of my cursings did no good, she just continued to snap one picture after another with her phone, rub his nubby little head, play with his long ears, cu-chi coo is nose to hers, and drool all over him. I must admit I tried not to look interested, but I couldn't help reaching over with my hand and patting his yellow noggin right along with her. Dang you Deserey!

It was also that day that I discovered Deserey's IQ! Deserey is boarder line genius! Serious, I'll have you know she has got an IQ like no other? I really didn't realize just how smart she was until she made her proclamation to me on the way home that day. Do you know what she said as I reiterated how much work a dog is? Suddenly and without provocation her eyes grew wide with excitement and she said,
"We'll give him to Goose for his birthday!"
"Oh brother," I thought and I looked at her and I said to her,
"Des you are one smart cookie!" I couldn't believe my ears.
"We'll give him to Goose." I was astounded at her ingenious plot!
"Well, aren't you brilliant," I extolled in a loud voice.
"Now you've got yourself a puppy and now you've got yourself a care taker!" I laughed all the way home.
"Yup, mom," she said, "Thanks for buying him." It was then I knew I had been duped! I think that's when I started cussing again, shaking my head and muttering to myself all the way home while I petted the dog's head. Stupid me!

So that's how Goose got his birthday present. It was all a master plot by Deserey to get herself a dog! The funny part of this story is that Seth wanted to share in the misery. He wanted the dog himself but not the work. I guess we all get to enjoy Geronimo now at Goose's expense. Hahahah Happy Birthday Goose!

Now you might be wondering how he got his name. Geronimo got his name the second we saw him. I thought of my dad and his love for Indian's and immediately Des and I came up with the perfect name for this pup. Goose has had a couple of fish named Geronimo over the years and Des and I both jumped to the name at the same moment. My dad I'm sure inspired it from the other side. He loved the history of the Indians and often spoke of Indians like Geronimo and Chief Joseph all the time before he passed away and my dad loved dogs. We always had a dog growing up. No wonder I bring home stray animals and puppies from parking lots! Happily, when we presented the name to Goose he whole heartedly agreed.

Now for the big news we discovered the other day. Geronimo doesn't behave like a normal yellow lab. He's for lack of a better word, sort of a big oaf! He walks different, his tail is longer than his whole body and his ears hang low as well, not to mention his feet; His feet are ginormous! After living with him a while I started to notice lots of little things about this dog that I couldn't quite understand. When he sleeps he runs in his sleep. Yup, this dog goes into a comma on my wash room floor and his feet move all the time he's sleeping. And he moans in his sleep. He makes these sounds that are the loneliest baying sounds I've ever heard and all the while he's out cold. He's lethargic by nature, calm as can be for a puppy and his personality is all together just a little different than Goliaths'.

I decided to take him up to my vet in Logan and have him neutered and checked over. Once we got there, Reed took one look at Geronimo, opened up his mouth and saw his black tongue and smiled at me. The smile on his face and his obvious pleasant stance made me curious.
"You know this dog isn't full lab?" He said. I told him I figured he wasn't a pure bred given the price.
"Nope," he said,
"This dog is half hound dog."
"What?" I stammered. That's when he started pointing out all of the obvious markings of the hound in him, traits like the long tail, the long ears, the obvious size of his paws and of course, the black tongue.

He didn't have to say anymore to convince me. All of Geronimo's personality traits now started to make sense. He's a hound dog! I couldn't believe it. Well, right then and there I knew I could count myself lucky in having discovered the best of two breeds! You can never go wrong with a Labrador Retriever for a dog and Blood Hounds are equally fierce in their ability to love and to be loyal just like the lab. See, I told you it was providence!

One thing I've discovered however in this gem of a dog, is how smart he is. He's got Desereys' IQ, I just know it. Since I've watched Goose training him, I am amazed at how smart Geronimo is especially since he walks and runs like a Pakistanian camel! The other day I was walking him in Bear Lake. We were headed down this long hill and I told him to sit and then I gave him the hand command to stay. He flopped down on his haunches the second I gave the order. He's only 5 months old and I was impressed. I kept an eye on him as I turned and walked all the way down the hill. After going down the hill a good long ways, I turned around to face him. He just continued to look me at inquisitively. He didn't move a muscle. Finally after a long time I shouted the order, "Come." That's when he nearly knocked me down. Once he gets his feet moving he can't stop. He nearly took me right out in the dirt as he plowed into me full bore. But although he is sort of an oaf, he picks up on things quick as can be and minds with great ease. All of these things however are no match for his heart. Yup, he's got the giant heart of a lab and the huge heart of a hound. That's one big heart! I know because I can see it, I can feel it and it's drawing me in!

Dang you Deserey! I know the end of this story! The day this dog dies, my crying fit will begin and every night for a month I'll stand by the side of his grave balling my eyes out. He's gotten under my skin and I have affectionately become severely attached. You picked a goody that day in the parking lot Des. Goose has himself one fine dog. This morning though as I write this I am thinking of Desi's statement, that we needed another outside dog. This statement has me perplexed. Could someone tell me why Geronimo is constantly in the wash room now it's cold? And they talk about me being weak?

Welcome to the Crowther home Geronimo! May you live with us a good long time, because like Goliath the king of all dogs, we love you! You've got some big paws to fill and you are off to a good start!