Simon doing his famous Loch Ness doggy in nearby North Boulder Creek
Ten years ago today, a great love affair began. I looked into those warm brown eyes, and saw that plume of a tail wagging, and he had me. I was instantly smitten. I walked into an animal shelter in Hagerstown, Maryland and my life was changed forever. But adopting Simon has not been without challenges, even on that very first day.
I went to pick him up after work — it was dark, and being the last customer of the evening, filled out the remaining paper work and clipped the leash on him. Like any new parent, I purchased things in advance to prepare my household for my new child. One of those things was a large dog crate that I had put in the back of my Subaru Forester complete with blankets, all ready for to transport my new doggy home. Ah, what is they say about the best laid plans?
I popped open the hatch and immediately, Simon jerked back, writhing in his collar. Before I knew it, he had slipped his collar altogether and began running around the parking lot, with me in hot pursuit. Having a black fur coat didn’t make things easier in the darkness. I’d catch a glimpse of him, and he’d dash off. Oh my God, what if the shelter staff looked out the window and saw me running around chasing after my newly adopted dog? What would they think? They might take him away from me right then and there, claiming me as an unfit mother.
Finally, I caught up with him, and not knowing any other way to grasp him, clamped on to that giant pluming tail. I managed to get the collar back on, but he still would have nothing to do with getting in the back of the car. Not knowing what else to do, I opened the front seat passenger door and he jumped in. We drove the 25 miles back to my home in Hancock, Maryland — Simon half-sprawled across my lap as I tried to steer safely. Coming home, I brought him in the back door, and he promptly went to each of the four corners of my living room, sniffing, lifting his leg up and urinating. Well, we were off to an auspicious beginning.
The last ten years have brought ups and downs with each other, but the unconditional love we have shared has never wavered. I found out early on, Simon had been abused and came with some emotional baggage that made him very wary of strangers who reached out to pet him. But like we feel about a child we know has suffered, my love for him grew stronger and we both worked to overcome his fears. He’s not perfect, but then neither am I, and we have worked through our struggles together.
Always the opportunist, Mr. Simon has sampled many great delicacies over the years, courtesy of duping us humans. Early on, when my husband and I were dating, Bryon brought me a pumpkin pie over the holidays. We set it on the kitchen counter, and while in the living room heard a ruckus. Simon came running out, tail wagging, having eaten the entire filling (he left the crust!), with orange pumpkin all over his muzzle and face, looking sly and happy. Working on his skills, he later managed to gulp down half a spice cake with nary a peep, with me only realizing his prize when I smelled cream cheese icing on his breath.
You’d think with all that eating, he’d be really fat by now. But in addition to honing his food hunting skills, he has proved to be an excellent hiker as well. We have shared many fond memories, hiking the mountains of Colorado, with Simon racking up seven Fourteeners. He loves the snow as well, and shares many a cross-country ski adventure with me. I found out early on, that his coat attracts anything and everything — a friend refers to him as “velcro dog.” Running in the snow quickly gave him his ice balls between his pads, so now he wears his blaze orange dog boots, as he romps through the forests near our Nederland home.
One of the most difficult times during this last decade was the six months I spent in Capitol Reef National Park. Unfortunately, the park did not allow seasonal rangers to have pets in park housing, so I had to leave Simon at our permanent home in Grand Junction. Bryon and Simon shared quality outdoor time, so I knew he was well cared for, but not having that raucous, happy face to come home to at night just about broke my heart. I ached for both my husband and Simon, and vowed never again to be apart from either one after that.
Being an only child for five years, I expected it to be hard for Simon to accept a new doggy into the household, especially a 3-month old border collie who would not leave him alone, chewing on his feathered legs and floppy ears incessantly. But with the patience of a wiser, older sibling, he tolerated her antics and they have grown to be loving companions. Like my own brother, he seeks to protect her from the dangers of the world. Though Simon has always gotten along well with other dogs, I have seen him twice go after a dog, both in defense of Shawnee. Ever the passive one, Shawnee will just cower and take the attack. But not Simon, he runs to her defense, and isn’t afraid to take on a dog that is twice his size.
So, here’s to you Mr. Simon. Thanks for ten years of wonderful memories, unconditional love, and outdoor adventures. Hopefully, there are still many more memories to be made in the years to come. From your loving mom, Leslie.
