In Memory of Shadow

Our German Shepherd Shadow died 24 November 2008, of cancer of the spleen and liver.

Aquila von Schneegrenze (Vedor vom Wildsteiger Land x Danzia Jaxayn von Berguntahl) was born 26 May 1998. We got Shadow in the fall of 2000, when he was 2 and 1/2 years old. He had been returned to his breeder in Washington state because his owner had died. We saw his handsome photo on an email list, and contacted the breeder, and he was shipped to Newark Airport. Unfortunately due to a hard drive crash in 2005, I don't have those early photos any more.

Shadow was a wonderful dog. He was crazy about chasing sticks, and if you picked up a stick around him, you'd better watch your hand! He would fetch sticks from the river or the creek as long as you would throw them. He was also very enthusiastic about fetching his kong, and Mert used to throw his kong down the driveway, and he'd would fetch it and run back uphill, and got lots of exercise that way.

When we got Viva as a puppy, in early 2001, Shadow took her under his wing, and was always wonderful and gentle with her, and let her take his toys and bones, and put up with lots of scheming from her when she was young.

For years Shadow has been a dignified, cooperative companion, who accompanied us several times to Maine for vacation, and enjoyed walks to the river, or lying under the cedar chewing a nice fresh bone.

As he aged, he got arthritis, so the past year or two he had slowed down quite a bit, especially after a bout of anaplasmosis last year. When Truffle came in November 2007, she really revived some youth in him, and she could do no wrong in his eyes. He would lie and play with her for long periods, and would push Viva away from Truffle if he thought Viva was getting too enthusiastic in her play.

In his old age he had some medical complaints, but we had no idea he had cancer, and the last crisis developed in just a day or two, as a mass on his spleen started bleeding into his abdominal cavity. He even ate his supper the day before he died, so we are thankful that he didn't have a long period of suffering.

Here are just a few pictures of Shadow. Click on them to enlarge, click BACK to return.

Five Months Old

We were trying to get some photos of Sammy (Reykjadals Séra Skolli ) to send in with his AKC papers. Very hard!

Mmmmm yummy.

Sam and Truffy enjoying the sun on the landing.

Halloween 2008

Reykjadal's Séra Skolli and Runestone Truffle

And Shadow and Viva, who get overshadowed by the new little dogs these days.

Fall day

Here are some pictures of Truffle and Séra Skolli enjoying a lovely fall afternoon, temperature in the 60's, aren't we lucky!

I know there's a squirrel up there!

Truffie on the watch for the next excitement.

Séra Skolli, known locally as Sam, scoping out the landscape.

Truffie on the dirt pile.

Sam on the dirt pile.Truffie showing off some fall color.

Truffie looking pretty as always.Well, at least he is sitting in the general vicinity of the mums, long enough for me to snap a picture....now, it he a cute puppy or what! Four months and a week. I tried to get the two of them together, but that was a comedy of errors. I will have to enlist Mert to help me.

Now that would have been great but he had to turn his head at the last minute!

Sammy chewing on his stick.

Welcome to our new Icelandic Sheepdog puppy

On October 7, Mert and I went to JFK Airport in New York to pick up our new puppy, Reykjadals Séra Skolli. His breeder, Brynhildur Inga Einarsdóttir, http://notendur.centrum.is/~borg1 , sent him on Icelandair, from Keflavik Airport in Iceland. His flight was about 6 hours, and then another hour until we got the paperwork and got through Customs, and then we could finally get him out of the crate. The crate was dry and he was perfectly clean.

He settled into our household as if he had been here for ages. He is very affectionate and cuddly, loves to climb in our laps, and lie at our feet. Truffle just loves him, and she wants to be with him all the time, which means she hangs around us more, because that’s where he is. If he is out in the yard, he soon will be at the door or the gate, reminding us that he wants to be where we are. Truff, on the other hand, used to be happy staying in the yard all day long, we joke that she is just barely domesticated. Now when Séra comes in, soon she will be at the door wanting to come in too.

They are opposite in looks as well as temperament, as you can see in the pictures. He is a short-coated black tricolor. His tan is very light, like coffee with lots of cream. He is just absolutely adorable.

Brynhildur sent so many pictures of Séra in Iceland, and below are a few of them, and some from Pennsylvania -- Penn's Woods, very different from Iceland. I also included a picture of Brynhildur's house in winter, although Séra hasn't experienced winter yet, but it looks so Icelandic, although Brynhildur said the house came from Finland.

In Iceland:

Séra Skolli and his mother Töfra Hólmfríður Hrifla, bred by Monika Karlsdottir, http://www.tofradogs.com/english.htm.

Séra Skolli's father, Þórdunu Séra Sómi:

Séra Skolli's mother, Töfra Hólmfríður Hrifla: