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- A Memorial
- Merlin
- My Monster & Big Baby
January 29, 1998 - July 31, 2007
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 Today
is a very sad day at SpringWolf.com. After a long battle with
cancer, we're faced with letting our precious hybrid wolf, Merlin,
go to the spirit realm. It's never an easy decision to let go
of one you love. And a decision that any person who loves and
adores their animal family members always wrestle with. But on
July 31st, we said good bye to the best friend and companion
who has walked on this spiritual path with me.
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- Merlin has been the best friend and member of our family
that I've ever had. Along with his Dalmatian sister Destinie
that is. He was so big that just his size would scare people.
It wasn't long before I started calling him my Monster or Monster
Merlin. Merlin, Destinie and I would often wake up and have a
wonderful good morning howl, what I would always call our morning
song. We would go to bed and howl a nice night-time song as well.
The tradition continued when our son, was born. He would come
into our room and join in on the howling. And that's just one
of the things I'm going to miss most.
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- As big as he was, he always thought he was just a little
puppy, a lap dog, a snugly little guy who wanted to lay next
to you or rub up against you like a cat. Only his rub would knock
you over. When he wanted your attention he would push his big
ole head into the palm of your hand until you scratched him.
 When
he wanted something and you didn't respond fast enough, he'd
take his huge paws and grab onto your arm. Then he'd pull you
toward him and inevitably put a big scratch on you. He never
meant to hurt anyone, he just never realized how big and strong
he really was.
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- When he was lost for 7 weeks in 2001, I was heart broken.
I never thought we'd find him. But thanks to the work of my sister
Pam, Alexandria Animal Control and the Arlington Police, we found
him. A cop saw him wander into a gaited apartment complex and
called animal control. Who alerted Alexandria Animal Control
who contacted Pam. We jumped in the car and took off to find
him. When we arrived in the parking lot he was sitting under
a tree just watching the people coming and going. As I started
for him, calling his name, he started to get up and run away.
I stopped started howling and asked him if he wanted to come
home. The howl was all we needed to talk to each other and he
quickly started for me. The closer he got, the lower to the ground
he got. By the time he reached me, he was practically crawling
and crawled right into my lap. And knocked me over backwards.
While he got out a couple times at the new house on the lake,
he never went very far. That 7 week escapade taught him a lot
I think and he never wanted to be far from home.
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- The day that he, Destinie and I moved into our new house
on the lake he was already nervous. He walked through the front
door and quickly looked for a way out. He jumped onto the kitchen
counter to jump out the window over the kitchen sink. It took
a few seconds to grab hold of him and get him calmed down. But
once he got a few of the familiar scents of me and Destinie,
he started to settle down. And I think he really loved it here.
Sitting in the back yard taking in all the smells of nature,
the lake and the wild life kept him entertained.
- For as big and scary as he was, he really was a wuss. He
would much rather sit upstairs in the loft in his own palisade.
Looking down into the living room at the comings and goings of
family and friends who visited. He would watching any guests
who visited with hawk eyes through the railings. Or he would
just relax and gaze out the windows into the back yard and the
wild life that surrounds the lake.
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- Many times we would let him out in the fall or winter and
he would lay in the middle of the yard sniffing the breeze. Even
at night beneath the flood lights, he liked relaxing under the
stars and cooling off. Unless there was snow on the ground. Then
it was being outside and rolling in the snow that he liked.
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- But his favorite place to be was in the corner of the loft
looking down into the living room. His own little place in the
world.
- Everyone was worried when we brought our son home from the
hospital. Not me. Merlin took to the Munchkin like jelly to peanut
butter. He loved the new baby member of our pack. When Gary would
change the baby's diaper, there was inevitably a bit of crying
and screaming, from the baby that is. Merlin would sit at the
end of the bed and growl at Gary, as if to say, you keep hurting
my baby and I'm going to beat you up.
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- One day just as the Munchkin was learning how to roll himself
over, Gary and I had him on our bed. I went to drop the diaper
into the trash and thought Gary was standing behind me. Gary
was grabbing something from the crib and thought I was next to
the bed. Just then the baby decided to roll over and he was on
his way off the side of the bed. But Merlin was there and took
his big long nose and pushed the baby back onto the bed just
as I came back into the room. I knew there was no way anyone
was going to believe that and do wish we had video of it. But
it was one of many moments lost to time. And just the perfect
example of how Merlin loved that kid.
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- He had his own way of doing things and many little rituals
he had for going to bed, going outside and waiting for me to
come home from work. He and Destinie both had to have their time
sleeping on the bed with me at night. Without Gary being there
that is. If they didn't get that time, Merlin would be restless
for most of the night. They both knew when it was close to time
for me to be home. Many times Gary would tell me about the two
of them making their way to the front door, or the door to the
living room where they could keep an eye on the front door just
a few minutes before I would arrive.
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- Somehow they both always seemed to know when Friday had rolled
around and it was time for Pizza night. They often knew exactly
when the pizza guys were coming just before they pulled into
the drive way.
  Merlin
was very shy around people. Except when the Pizza guy or girl
came. Then it was into the kitchen and for a few of them, he
would go right up to them and even let one or two of them pet
his head. That was a big deal for Merlin.
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- He's also immortalized as the logo for SpringWolf.com and
SpringWolf Designs. And his image will always be present on the
many sites I've designed for customers and friends; and for myself.
Most recently for my author website Springwolf.net
- In April 2007 Merlin was diagnosed with nasal cancer. It's
been a very emotional road, but we fought this terrible disease
as long as possible. I just couldn't stand to see him deteriorate
and Gary and I both knew it was time to let him go. He's such
a part of me, I don't know what I'm going to do without him.
I love this big goof so much and he will always be my big baby.
It's so very hard to say good-bye.
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Two more of my favorite pictures
 
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The day was made worse as we were getting ready to say good-bye
to Merlin when my sister called. To let us know that her baby
Shadow had collapsed that morning and left us on the same day.
July 2007 has been a very terrible month for us. We lost Odie,
Shadow, and Merlin within just a few weeks of other. They all
grew up together as Pam and I shared a house for several years.
Odie, Shadow and Destinie were Merlin's harem. Now they can always
be together in Doggie Heaven. We're going to miss All our big
babies!
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Have Visited Merlin |
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