Sandy was as good dog as you could find. There was not a person who met her who didn't want her. When we needed a dog-sitter, volunteers would queue up immediately.
We took Sandy everywhere, particularly sailing. She loved to swim, chase anything, or chaw for hours on a stick or bone.
She died of old age at a ripe 13 1/2 years last summer. We miss her a lot.
Here are some pictures of Sandy and Midnight, our neighbors lab. Sandy and Midnight were best friends and played for hours on end.
Here's Sandy relaxing in the cockpit of Passe Partout after a tough day of playing in the salt water while we rigged the boat in the spring.
Sandy loved Christmas. What child doesn't?
She opened all her own presents. In her 12'th year, she actually snuck into the living room on the night before Christmas and tore open a present on her own. It was a bone of hers!
Ok, we had to include at least one puppy picture!
Sandy was an athlete and a superb retriever. She often found balls that had been missing for one or two seasons She had a very strong retrieving ability and would cast about looking for scents. If she was looking for something that was upwind she would find it. Always.
When Passe Partout was stored in the back yard, we would occasionally have cocktails on the boat; kind of a clubhouse for dreaming of warmer times. On one such occasion, we were celebrating and Sandy got to chase the cork. No, she doesn't drink champagne, but liked the occasional watered down beer.
She loved the snow.
Dog and Snow Dog. Christine and Sandy would play for hours in the first snow fall.
Ok, all the tennis balls are missing. Can you throw this instead dad?
The smartest trick we taught Sandy was to place the ball back in the tennis racket so we could throw it again. Even when she got old, she had legs of steel.
Drop the ball in the racket, back off a bit, and do it again....
It turns out there was a good reason to call her Sandy .
Ok, sometimes she became a pointer too.
