Amy and I have been through a lot of ups and downs while pursuing our winery dream. Some were momentary bumps in the road, some were a bit more monumental to overcome, but overcome we did. Recently we hit a bump that hurts a lot more and will me much tougher for us to get thru, the loss of our beloved Rocky. We know many of our customers enjoyed Rocky and didn't know exactly how to relay the news, but his story goes like this....
It was the Summer of 2009 we were finally living on our 20 acre site and we decided we should get a dog to help with deer control, provide a little security, and to just enjoy. That is when our Black Lab came into our lives. The minute we went to look at puppies we fell in love with him. He had a bit of an overbite so he wasn’t considered perfect. But we loved the small splotch of white on his upper chest and he was so full of energy. We were barely on our way home when our son Erich came up with his name. Erich, a guitar player was studying the radio which was on a Sirius satellite station that showed up as “rock” in the radio display. ”We could call him Rocky” he said. And so he was named.
In his kennel that first night he barked and barked finally knocking off after midnight, fortunately we don’t have close neighbors! After that first night it would be just about a year before he would ever bark again. We didn’t think he knew how to until one day he was barking at something we looked at each other and said “Is that Rocky”. From that point on he would bark to try to scare off deer or other intruders. He wasn’t bold enough to go after them; he would just try and act tough with his bark. He would bark at strangers driving up our drive, but once they stopped and got out of their car he would be their best friend. That was our Rocky.
We didn’t let him run loose until he was a year old and then there was no stopping him. He would go off to all corners. Once he discovered our pond and the neighbors pond you knew where he would be on a warm day, always coming back soaking wet from a cooling bath. Early on you would worry when it got dark and there was no sign of him, but he always came back. Amy taught him a few commands like sit and stay, but he was way too smart for us. If we didn’t have something for him he would look at you like “why should I sit, there’s nothing in it for me”. But as soon as you brought his food for the night or had a treat, he would sit down without being asked and wait for the ok to eat. He would come when you called him, if he didn’t have something better going on like discovering a new deer bone. It was amazing how many deer bones he would bring back, proudly looking at you almost saying “look what I found”. That was our Rocky
It was amazing how fast he grew from that little puppy to a 100 pound pooch that still acted like a puppy. His energy was endless. If I was throwing batting practice to Erich, Rocky was right there chasing the baseballs and taking them to the house with a laugh. If Amy or I would go for a run around the property he was always there ahead of us, showing us how fast he was and waiting for us when we were done. We would call him our race horse as he was always galloping and was so fast. He roamed the area always looking for a new adventure. He had his mischievous side and provided a lot of great stories like the time we saw him barking at the ground in the field next door only to find him barking at a turtle trying to get it to come out of its shell or when he stole one of the winery construction workers lunch and had a feast, or getting into the groceries in the car trunk, or trapping a baby skunk underneath Erich's car barking at it even after he got sprayed. Over the last year he loved heading down to the two new houses being built and checking things out and even came home with a face full of drywall mud.That was our Rocky!
But when you had a hard day he was always there jumping onto your lap and waiting to be scratched, petted, and loved. He would make a special happy growling noise when you would scratch behind his ears. He loved playing Frisbee, finding that special deer bone, or enjoying a peanut butter filled kong. If Amy was out in the vineyard you knew he wouldn’t be far behind his mommy. I would often say he was the happiest & luckiest dog in the world playing in his vineyard. When you came out of the house he would always come charging toward you a hundred miles an hour for some love. That was our Rocky.
As we got closer to opening day at the winery we didn’t know what we would do with Rocky. We didn’t want to keep him in his kennel, but we didn’t know how he would react to customers as he did bark when cars would come. The first day we opened we intended to keep him in, but the allure the neighbors burning tree branches kept him out and about when we opened. Soon he came home and laid down in front of the winery doors. Customers would come, give him a friendly pet and he decided he loved all that attention. From that point on he was our official greeter. Often times he would greet a customer at their car and walk them to the door. He would even tour the back deck to find someone that would shower him with attention. Our customers loved him! One day when he was in his kennel a family came to the winery and asked if we could let him out so he could play with them. He was everyone’s best friend. That was our Rocky.
Ten days before Labor Day Rocky wasn’t himself. He wasn’t eating and was lethargic. Not the happy puppy we knew and loved. An emergency trip to the vet revealed that his kidneys weren’t working. A week went by, with constant monitoring at the vet we thought he was very slowly improving. The Saturday before Labor Day he had the most energy we had seen from him. In fact on a walk with his mommy he saw some customers and had her walk over to them so he could do his favorite job, greeting the customers. Sadly Sunday night came and he got worse and on Labor Day Rocky took his last breaths, at home, in the arms of his beloved mom. Erich, Amy and I laid him to rest with his Frisbee and a bone near his favorite vineyard, where we can see him from our home and within site of the winery so he can watch for his customers.
I never thought one could get so attached to a dog, but although he was only with us for 3 short years, Rocky was one of a kind. A happy dog full of fun and love who could brighten up even the worst day. Wagging his tail as he approached you ready to share his love. If you look out hard enough you can still him chasing after Erich’s baseball, working with Amy in the vineyard, or just going for a walk and searching for something fun. That was our Rocky.
Rocky we love you and miss you. You always could put a smile on our face. The days haven’t been the same since you were gone.
