What Once Was: #1

Blaze, Tex and Cosy were the three greyhounds that started life in the Retired Racing Greyhound world  for our family. Blaze and Tex were adopted a couple of months apart, but later I found out they had been in a house together before. They were both older when I adopted them.

Meet Blaze. Blaze was my first greyhound.

I adopted her at the age of 7. She was an easy to get along with girl that loved everyone, but she was indeed queen Blaze! Blaze passed away in 1997 at the age of 10.5 due to Hemangiosarcoma. But she not only paved the way for so many retired racing greyhounds to become a part of the family, she was also one of the hounds that inspired me to organize and run Greyhound Pets of America – Minnesota for many years to come.

 

Meet Tex. Tex was my second greyhound.

Tex, like Blaze, came from an abusive home and I adopted him at the age of 8 years old. I still miss Tex and Blaze very much as they were certainly both extreme characters filled with so much spirit in spite of what they had gone through before coming to live with my family.

Tex passed away  in 1999 when he was 13 years of age. A lover  and a high spirited hound to the end. They broke the mold when they made Tex, I’ve never met another hound with a personality like his.

 

Meet Cosy. Cosette (aka Cosy) was my third greyhound.

Cosette (called Cosy) was a 16 months old Blue Brindle girl who was cut from racing due to interfering at an early age. I adopted her a few months after Tex came to live with us. She was a very smart girl who won the heart of all she met but was very active and a little more than just about everyone wanted to handle.  Always up for playing, my youngest daughter taught her to play basket ball by using a small basket ball Cosy could carry in her mouth. Very smart…but in the beginning we had to be very careful about our training with her because she was extremely ‘mouthy’.

Cosy was a very sweet, beautiful girl. She passed away in 2005 at nearly 12 years of age due to Osteosarcoma.

I still miss them all. Each had a wonderful, but totally different, personality and big warm loving hearts. They all live on through my memories and will always have a special place in my heart. They became part of me and I will never forget them.

We have had many retired racers and I will continue to share them with you as time goes on. I hope you will enjoy meeting them.

A few of them were before my digital camera and I am short on photos I can post. I intend to scan some of their old photos into my computer one of these days.

 

For more ‘That’s My World Tuesday’ photos please click here.

In the Beginning

 
On the first day, God created the Greyhound.

On the second day, God created man to serve the Greyhound.

On the third day, God created the animals of the Earth to serve as potential food for the Greyhound.

On the fourth day, God created honest toil so that man could labor for the good of the Greyhound.

On the fifth day, God created the tennis ball so that the Greyhound could or could not retrieve it.

On the sixth day, God created veterinary science to keep the Greyhound healthy and the man broke. (AMEN!!!)

On the seventh day, God tried to rest, but he had to walk the Greyhound. (Author Unknown)

On the eighth day, God believeth that He was done, but Lo! The Garden of Eden was full of Greyhound poop and craters. Adam & Eve, having been banished from the garden, no longer dwelleth therein to serve the Greyhound, so it came to pass that He had to clean the mess up Himself. And God was displeased.

On the ninth day, God sayeth unto the Heavens, "Who hath dominion here, me or the Greyhound?

On the tenth day, God came upon the Greyhound cockroached on His throne and abideth there unmoving, despite all His beseeching.

And so it came to pass that God had his answer. He then sayeth unto Moses, "Fine! You’re in charge now. Here’s my ten commandments. You deal with the Greyhound! I’m retiring to Miami Beach!

And Moses convinced the Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of bondage in Egypt and journey to the Promised Land. God sayeth unto Moses, "The Promised Land shall be yours, but you must take the Greyhound with you.

And so it came to pass that the Israelites wandered for 40 years in the wilderness, waiting for the Greyhound to go potty, mark every bush and sniff every blade of grass in its domain.

And the Greyhound was fruitful and multiplied.  

The people were taken by the comeliness and manner of the Greyhound, but they were sorely distressed. "Lord" they cried out, "The Greyhound is an attractive and sweet creature, but there are so many, what shall we do?"

And God sayeth unto the people, "Ye are a cursed people and shall be known as adopters! Thy yards shall be barren of grass. Thy dwellings shall overflow with dog beds, squeaky toys and Greyhound kitsch. Thy carpets shall be forever stained. Thy vet bills shalt be large and thy lives forever ordered around by the Greyhound. And thy minds shall be muddled, as thou shalt treat thy Greyhounds as thy do your human offspring."

And Adopters begat Chippers. And Chippers begat Fosters. And Fosters begat Adoption Groups. And Adoption Groups begat Discussion Lists. And Discussion Lists begat Gatherings. And Gatherings begat Vendors. And Vendors begat a wardrobe for the Greyhound. And the Greyhound was spoiled.

God looked down on this and was pleased.

~David Weeks~ (photos Robin Krautbauer)