Thinking of Timber - The Best of ATB

Best of All Things Brittany (from the ARCHIVES)

J & A's Timberdoodle of Acton

January 1, 2005 - May 2, 2007

Sire: AFC/FC Coos Rylee

Dam: Ruby Mountain of Coos

Some things are not fair.  Being a 2 year old Brittany struck down with a rare form of cancer that takes your vibrant fun loving life away from you is one of them.  Spending almost 5 months down south doing nothing but work birds all winter long, to return home only to die within a matter of weeks is not fair.  Being a fully finished gundog and ready to be seriously campaigned on the spring field trial circuit only have a heart attack on the operating table once the dreaded cancer had been discovered - only too late for the spine and all the tissue surrounding it was destroyed.  To go from soaring on the wind, running for all you are worth to greet the one who loved you most - jumping up into her arms, knocking her over, and giving dog kisses because you were so happy to see her... to just a couple of weeks later, barely being able to hobble over to her - although that's just what you wanted to do...

So many times after losing Timber I thought of 'me' how sad I was how unfair it was that such a great Brittany was taken from me.  But as I reflect tonight, I am sad for him again.  Timber would be 5 and a half now if he were still here.  But he's not and all that is left is the memory.  May 2 makes the 3rd anniversary of his passing. And I think of him every day even though we have other Brittanys in our life... most significantly his son Scooby.

There's a song that makes me think of Timberdoodle; it's "Fields of Gold".  For me that says it all and every time I hear it, no matter where I am I cry.  And I've seen John shed tears too.  Timber was the first Brittany I ever trained myself on birds.  I learned about whoa posts, check cords, planted birds, Bill Tarrant and Delmar Smith, Chukar, Hungarians, launchers, backing, and all the technical terms and tools we take for granted in training a bird dog.  I saw what it was like for a Brittany to get turned onto birds, I was there to see my Timber transition from a playful puppy into a serious hunter - within just a few minutes.  That moment gave me chills and I'll never forget it.  We had some kind of Brittany in Timberdoodle.

So as I have relived the timeframe of March 25th marking the date he came home from training - and approach May 2 - the day he died... I have kept the memories just below the surface.  But here we are.  And the date is only days away.  I'll be busy.  John will too.  But the day will not pass unnoticed. 

Timbers cremains were scattered here and there and at Timbers' fields of gold just down the road the night before his pups went to leave to go to their new homes.  The pups romped, the wind blew, and we scattered his ashes.  It was not for Timber to be locked up tight, kept in a jar or a keepsake box on a shelf. 

One of the funniest memories I have of Timber I love to recall.  We were down in the fields and I was walking along the road, knowing he was off to the edge where he loved to run.  He was a fast running far reaching Brittany and I never ever tried to take that out of him.  He was too young and had such a zest for life.  The grass in the field was high, so I was never exactly sure where he was and every once in awhile I'd sing for him so he'd know where I was or I'd blow a couple of times on my whistle for him to come around.  It was just such a beautiful place to work with a dog and truthfully I have only been able to go there a very few times since he died.  It was a field of gold.  Well this one day I was walking up in the higher field and happened to look down and saw a whole flock of turkeys take flight suddenly.  I hadn't even know there were any turkeys there.  They were not flying very high at all and it reminded me of seeing ducks do something similar just above the water while I was canoing at Moosehead Lake years ago.  It just was odd. But suddenly there is Timberdoodle, leaping with his ears flapping in the wind, up and down, up and down oh my gosh it was so funny!!!  He was in hot pursuit of those turkeys and it was like he was trying to jump right up into the sky and catch one but of course he couldn't.  Of course this was not what I wanted in a gundog but I just was laughing so hard as the scene unfolded.... Eventually he figured out that I was laughing at him and he turned away from the game and bounced across the field over to where I was and we sat back in that grass together and shared a bottle of water together.  The worst thing I could have done was let him chase those turkeys but the experience didn't hurt him any.  And it sure left me with a wonderful memory to share this night as I think long and hard about the doodley boy. 

Sometimes I just feel like I've let Timber down.  I had such good intentions to work with Scooby at the same pace that I did with his father. He has the same potential and ability.  I see how well Timbers father continues to do nationally, he's at the top for shooting dogs, is an American Field Champion (AFC) always placing in the top.  And we've used Rylee in our program here and probably will again.  Scooby has all of that in his genes.  And it's up to me to help bring it out. Scoob doesn't hold it against me though, he's quite a happy boy and he knows how deeply I love him and what he means to me. 

Timberdoodle, I miss you tonight.  I really really do.  As the 3rd anniversary of your passing approaches, I will think on the happy times we had together.  In hindsight, I'm thankful you got to spend your last 5 months of your life running in fields, training daily on live birds.  But there was not a night that did not go by that I didn't miss you here while you were down south.  And there is not a day that goes by that I don't miss you now since you left to go to the rainbow bridge. I love you my friend, and I do believe there will be a day we'll be together once more Timber....  I am positive. As I leave for a new adventure with ATB, there is a liver and white Brittany figurine that hangs in the motor home... it has angels on it.  Someone gave that to me shortly after Timber died... thanks for listening, didn't meant to be sad but I know some of you have lost your friends too in the past and totally understand.  Take care and God Bless... John, Ann, and All Things Brittany

Originally Published April 27, 2010