Drake loved the water since he was a puppy. He would swim for hours if I`d let him, so early on I made a promise to him that I would take him to the ocean someday to swim in the surf. As the years went by, he may have forgotten the promise and I`d renew it every year, citing one more excuse. In October 2015, seeing Drake start to slow with age and become a little more gray around the muzzle, I stopped making the promise and told him we were going. Not next year, but right now. That weekend. We loaded up, well before sunrise, and were off. After several hours, I think he knew, and finally when he stuck his nose out the window while crossing the Chesapeake Bay bridge, smelling the salty air, he knew we were in for something different.
The two of us spent three days in Ocean City/Fenwick and had one of the most memorable times of my life. He was so tired at the end of each day but he found the stamina, somewhere, to play fetch, run in the sand, walk on the boardwalk at night and play in the waves for hours on end.
At the end of each chilly night we would watch the sun go down and listen to the birds.
Autumn at the beach brings a special feel and it`s one I will always be fond of. At the boardwalk there were special events going on, likely to attract out-of-season visitors. There was a Corvette show at the end of the boardwalk and a Halloween dog costume parade. Drake walked close by my side through hundreds of dogs dressed in curious and often comical costumes. I had no reservations on taking him in such close quarters with other dogs and felt confident to let him off lead on the nearby beach to play fetch. There was one mounted policeman that took him by surprise and while Drake has seen horses before, I think the site of a person atop one caught him off guard. He wasn`t sure what to think and let out a short round of barks.
We had the time of our lives and I wanted desperately to return with the rest of the family. But when we were leaving after our last sunrise overlooking the ocean, I had a feeling we might not.
Drake would have been 10 years-old today. His birthday... Less than 10 months after our trip, after never having had any health problems, we got the news of his cancer. It was an aggressive form that had advanced past the point of treatment. We sought help from Ohio State and others but it was too late. We spent the next 3 weeks doing all the things he loved. Hiking, fires, and swimming. Always my rock, he showed little signs of his failing condition, even playing fetch and running in the yard on his last days. In September 2016 after nine and a half years by my side, he fell asleep next to us for the last time. Those of you that knew him, knew his loyalty to me and my family. He went everywhere with me and changed my life in ways I would never have imagined. I`m more involved with other animals because of him, I take time out to slow down my days because he asked me to, and appreciate that life is meant to be cherished. All from a dog. I`d have to say that dogs are the most under-rated forms of therapy available. I`m thankful we got to take our long overdue trip to the sea. I miss him every day and he will always be a part of me. Happy Birthday Drake. I wish you were still with us. I hope to see you again some day.
