| Odin: my shadow, my friend, my heart |
| Written by Laura Lemieux | |
 In Memory Of Odin's Eastern Thunder (Odin)10 June 1994 - 1 September 2005 Odin, I wanted you before I ever saw you. When Mom, Deb and Evelyn came back from their trip to Virginia to visit Pam, they all raved about the cute Min-Pin puppies at Oak Forest Kennels. How they were so tiny, you could hold a pup in the palm of your hand, or tuck one away into your pocket. Roland bought you, sight unseen, as a birthday present for my 32nd birthday. He’s terrible at keeping surprises for a long time, so by September, a month before my birthday, I knew you were mine. The plan was “Aunty” Pam would keep you for us until Thanksgiving when we would fly to Virginia to pick you up. Pam met us at the airport, and I was disappointed that you weren’t there too. Surprise, surprise, she had you in the car with a red bow tied around your neck. You were such a scrawny, little boy! When I held you cradled against me, you weren’t quite sure what to make of this strange woman cooing over you. You stole my heart from the moment I saw you and it wasn’t long before you gave me yours. What a smart little boy you were, my Odin-pup! I remember watching you play with our ferret, Tigger, getting so frustrated because he would slip under the television stand where you couldn’t get to him. Not to be deterred, you trotted off through the living room, dining room and kitchen into the pantry then returned with a mouthful of kibble. Ro and I watched you spit out the kibble in front of the TV stand and push it around with your nose, then you went around the corner of the door opening and crouched down to wait. As soon as Tigger came out to eat the kibble you pounced on him! You never forgot your first “Mom”. The first time Pam came to visit us, you ran toward the door, barking ferociously and leaped high for an aerial attack. In mid-air you realized this was no stranger – this was “Mom”! Quickly you aborted your attack, twisting your lithe, little body into a complete somersault in the air and landing not very gracefully on your side. Then you were all wiggles, kisses and apologies. You loved laying in the sun, sleeping under the covers (you HAD to dig the blanket ‘just so’ transforming it into a perfect dog nest), rides in the car, and the boat. Every time I went into the water, you would run around the boat, looking over the sides so you could keep watch over me. You were thrilled when we figured out you could join us in the water by floating on the kneeboard. I’ll always see you standing on the bow cushions, nose into the wind, loving the “high speed air” as Dad called it. For eleven years you’ve been my shadow, my friend, my heart. There was no place I could go where you wouldn’t follow. Until now. It’s your turn to lead, Odes ….. I know you’ll wait for me.              |
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