Where you, the reader, take over. Send it in! Can be about anything! Almost! Email to peter.b.abrahams@gmail.com and put Phriday Photos in the subject line.
And now over to Maury (WTAFP), a very good friend of the blog. (I was lucky enough to meet Wookie in person, btw.)
Wookie’s Story
Wookie was our first dog as well as our first golden retriever (technically, we had first fallen in love with golden retrievers as a breed taking care of our neighbor’s golden retriever, Casey, who became Wookie’s best friend after we adopted Wookie). Wookie was a rescue, coming to us from a golden retriever rescue organization in the area (Casey had been adopted by our neighbors from the same organization) and we got him more or less full grown at about 8 months.
If there is a single word to describe Wookie, that word would be majestic. Wookie was not a pure bred golden, but clearly (from appearance) had a little Chow in him as well (probably grandmother on the mother’s side had strayed), although in temperament he was pure golden. In any event, he was adorned with some of the crown that goes with a Chow and he looked more like a lion (but a friendly one) than anything else. He had a physical presence that was both unique and compelling. And he was definitely a big boy, weighing close to 120 pounds in his prime.
Wookie did not like grooming at all (although after being bathed, he didn’t mind and even seemed to enjoy being blown dry by a hair dryer, which we referred to as spa day). His grooming largely occurred at home, because after about three visits to a groomer, he was banned by the groomer for life for taking offense at being on an elevated table that he did not like (and knocking it over as he dismounted).
One of our most memorable events with Wookie was one time when he was with us walking around the Mall in DC and we were approached by a group of Japanese tourists (mostly teenagers) who had never seen a dog anything like him. They were completely enchanted by his regal appearance and his gentle manner, and spent about 20 minutes talking video after video of him. We were convinced that, after they returned home, the lion/dog wonder known as Wookie would be an instant television/internet sensation in Japan, based on all the videos that they took of him.
Wookie loved Vermont and greatly enjoyed our travels there. One of the photos is of Wookie in Vermont. However, he did learn the painful lesson once that you do not chase a cat with a white stipe down its back, particularly at night. It took several days for the smell to finally wear off.
Wookie loved quilting and the quilt ladies who would come to our house to work on quilts. He viewed safeguarding quilts as an important responsibility, as one of the photos shows. Wookie was also incredibly devoted to my father, who was living with us at the time, and my father reciprocated by petting him constantly whenever he could.
Of our three dogs, he was the only one that seemed to bond with cats as well as dogs. He was very closely to Chumly (who lived next door with Casey) and they would often be seen snuggling with one another, although if they realized they were being watched, they would immediately pop up and pretend that nothing was going on. He also was very close with the cat of a friend of ours named Zuma, who he only met once but it was clearly love at first sight for both of them.
As some of you may remember, Wookie was diagnosed with lymphoma at age 9, but he did not let that stop him in any way, as he was a real fighter and survivor. He went through the full chemo regime that humans go through for treatment of lymphoma, a total of 16 treatments spread once a week over 19 weeks (with three breaks after each round of four weekly chemo treatments). He lived another year and a half in full remission; unfortunately as a result of his compromised immune system, he contracted leptospirosis, which ultimately destroyed his kidneys, but even there he survived over a year following that diagnosis. One benefit was that, since protein would accelerate kidney damage, his protein intake during his last year of live was reduced as a result of his being placed on what is known as “the cupcake diet.” He loved it. While he was being treated, his oncologist at first was somewhat reserved (her passion was for goldens as a breed but, as an oncologist, she felt she could never own one because they were so prone to cancers, and she had Jack Russell terriers instead) mainly as a self-protective measure because so many of her patients did not survive very long, but as it became clear that Wookie would not succumb quickly, she too succumbed to his charms. As a final testament to his special character was that, when the end was drawing near, he knew it would be too painful for us if he died on Christmas Day, and he persevered until mid-day on December 26, before succumbing to his condition.
On the blog, Wookie was one of the original posters, as Wookie of Chevy Chase, and was very active on the blog from its beginning until he crossed the rainbow bridge at the end of 2013. Perhaps his most notable achievement was winning the contest that Spence ran for which an advanced readers copy of To Fetch a Thief was the prize. The contest involved answering 10 questions from the first two books, and Wookie’s answer to the last question, in which he connected the aquifer and a photo of Niagara Falls over Bernie’s safe to the Abbott & Costello routine about Niagara Falls (slowly I turn, step by step) is what set him apart from the other contestants.
On the blog, Wookie frequently collaborated in mischief and missions with his buddy Rio the Evil Pug, and joined with other blog members in various “missions” mainly intended to try to uncover details about what Spence would next be writing. He also managed to attend one World Collection, accompanied by Rio, SiberH and Wolfie Wigglebut. He was a devoted follower of Snowhook, supporting all of the silent auctions conducted on the blog to raise funds for Snowhook’s Iditarod runs, and indeed a photograph of him was carried by AJ on the entire Iditarod race route one year, I think it was 2013, and the photo was of the first time that he ever experienced snow (attached). His mission work gave rise to his later moniker of Agent 00Wookie, and he definitely preferred his martini shaken and not stirred, so as to avoid bruising the gin. (The last photo is of Agent 00Wookie properly attired with a bow tie.)
12 Comments on “Phriday Photos”
Greetings!
What a story! I may have slipped in to the blog shortly after Wookie passed, so his story was for the most part, new to me. I wish I could have met him…Agent00Wookie, you were quite the dog!
Good Friday to all!
Wookie was a love.
Good day to all.
I do believe BooBear told me that 00Wookie was on the mission to plant hidden cameras in OFA’s office in hopes of watching him work on the next Chet and Bernie story.
And I believe there was quite a romance between him and Spence’s first dog (at least his dog when the blog started).
WTAFP, what was her name?
Possibly Audrey?
At some point we should get OFA to join the Phriday Photos with photos and bio of Audrey and Pearl so those of us late to the blog can do a bit of catch up.
Wookster! What a regal pup! I know you are enjoying romping with all our pets who have crossed over the Rainbow Bridge! You had a marvelous life with many showering you with well-deserved love! You have inspired me to submit bios of our two previous dogs for phuture phridays.
Big Tiny, I believe OFA’s first recorded dog was Audrey.
After hearing about Wookie for so long, I am so happy to read his story.
You did forget one detail. How Wookie got his name. Something Star Wars related?
He certainly lived a “big little life” as Trixie Koontz would say. 120lbs. Wow.
Handsome in his bow tie but not at all vain. Generous, accepting and loving as Goldens seem to be going above and beyond just being dog.
Thank you so much for sharing his story. I hope the holidays only bring you joy in his remembrance.
The anniversary of Caesar’s death just passed two days ago. Ramses is coming next week. I need to hurry up and submit his story to Phriday Photos.
For you, Spence and the rest of us it is I Love to Write day. I can tell you put a lot of love into writing about Wookie. I hope it brought you even more memories and joy than you shared in his story.
Now go give Franklin a kiss on the lips from me and Freyja Grey and a hug from Diana pawPrints. I’m sure he won’t care why.
What a beautiful dog and a beautiful story. I believe Goldens are angels on four legs. Their gentle, protective nature shines through. I’m glad you had so many years with him and thank you for sharing.
Where did Wookie’s name come from? Good question. That was actually the name he had been given when we adopted him and we decided to stick with it. It was actually (so we were told) his third name. Interestingly, his first name was apparently Caesar. Don’t know why but whomever named him lost interest, which is how he wound up in shelter on the Eastern Shore of Maryland before he was rescued by a golden retriever rescue league (it was a kill shelter so this rescue may have been lifesaving). After that, he was renamed Twister, which we at least understood, because he had the ability to twist himself in contorted ways just lying on the ground. That name did not stick either and further along the way he was renamed again as Wookie; I’m sure because of some perceived resemblance to Chewbacca Wookie. By the time we adopted hm, it seemed that three names were more than enough, we had no better option, and he seemed very comfortable with the name, so it stuck.
Three might be a record.
Freyja Grey may have had that many or more.
She may have belonged to someone before ending up on the streets where Hesperia animal control picked her up. If she had a name no one knew. No collar and no chip.
She was adopted and I believe they named her Gray. She was returned and that is what the staff called her. The second time she was returned within 24 hours and I’m not sure they named her but the shelter didn’t know if they did so they kept calling her Gray but she never answered to it.
I renamed her Freyja because I thought she was Keeshond and I’ve been naming my dogs after mighty warriors and gods. Freyja sounded similar to Gray so she became Freyja Grey, European spelling. She may not have ever answered to Gray but she answered to Freyja within 10 days. (I’m sure the pets helped a lot. She is a glutton.)
I suspect Wookie decided that was his name and he liked it. Maybe that is why Freyja never answered to Gray in over a month but answered to Freyja just over a week. I’ve always tried out names on my new puppies. For a few days I go through the list and if they consisted perk up or look at me on the same name, that is the name they get. It worked for Caesar, Goliath, Ramses and Diana. Seems to have worked with Freyja too.
I love the stories about how dogs get their names. Wookie’s previous owners probably had children that were into Star Wars as I can’t imagine anywhere else they might have come up with that name. Except if they wanted to name her Cookie and a toddler could only say Wookie. That’s how my childhood dog became “Buttercup” legally but was only called Cuppy. My sister couldn’t say puppy so she became Cuppy.
Thieves here! We received intel that there was a special report about Wookie on this here blog.
The Wookster had us at a straying grandmother, Howie at a lifetime ban from the groomer and Hazel with the mention of mischief and missions. They broke the mold and the grooming table with Wookie.
Thank y’all for remembering Audrey’s name. Don’t know why mom couldn’t recall it.
In the old days of the blog, 00Wookie was quite the dog!
Thank you, WTAFP, for sharing more details of his story. It brought smiles and tears for Mom. I’m sure there are many more stories you can share in case you decide to do a Wookie Part 2!
I’m truly loving Photo Phridays and all the reminiscences. Thank you, everyone, for sharing all the history and fond memories!