From David C. About Richard

In Reply to the June 3, 2011 post

Hi Myrna,

Thank you for writing these stories down, I really enjoy reading them!  Sorry it took so long for me to respond, I had a couple of pictures I have been going to scan, but as usual, it takes me a long time to get around to it :{  

      I am attempting to include three pictures that you probably haven't seen before.  When we lived up Huntington canyon, I took some pictures with my little trusty camera, most of which was scenery, but there was some gems. Garth, clowning around, Richard with Spot (yes, he was named "Spot", we weren't particularly original ;) ), and Richard when he was home sick with the mumps.  I also have a paper Mom wrote in 1932, her "autobiography"  I don't know if you've ever seen it but just in case, I will include it.

      Spot was protective of Richard as you remember, but it was a rocky beginning.  Spot would allow all of us to mess with him all we wanted, but the first time Richard tried to pick something out of his food dish, Spot growled, bared his teeth and snapped at Rich.  As I remember, there was no skin broken or blood drawn, but as you might expect, Dad wasn't very happy, and threatened to put Spot to sleep if he couldn't trust him.  (I remember thinking that Richard should somehow be trained to stay away from Spot's dish, rather than lose Spot!)  Dad had a little training session with Spot, and I have no idea what took place, but after that, we could all mess with Spot in any way we wanted and that wonderful dog would just take it (and love it!).  It did take quite awhile before Spot would grab Richard's pants cuff and drag him around the yard like he did with me and Garth, but eventually he did.  And you're right, he was particularly watchful of Richard.  I thought Richard's heart would break when Spot had his final set-to with a porcupine (his third), and couldn't recover.  We somehow thought that he was indestructible...  I always thought that Spot was part Pointer, Great Dane and German Shepherd - at least, that's what we always told people.  

      Other than what I added, I believe your writing was accurate, and stirred my memories.  Those days were so wonderful, bright and shiny - every day was filled with new experiences and promises of more.  If it were possible, I would like to do it all over again, just so that I could remember all of the things I've forgotten.  I wish now that I had kept diaries throughout the years - if I had known how lousy my memory would be, I would have :)

      Love, Dave

Garth Childs