Mattie Girl

When we first moved here we had two beautiful young women buy the home next door. 
We two homes were the first 2 on the block.

When the one gal ran off and got married that left Fran here alone.
She got the cutest damn golden retriever ever for her next roommate. 
She named her Mattie.
I don't think there is anything cuter than a Golden Retriever puppy. Just isn't. 
Sorry Izzy.

Fran traveled a great deal or had very long days at work. 
At the time Rick and I both worked from home on the days we didn't travel. 
So Rick would walk her at lunch time. Rick trained her to stop at all corners. 
That was a funny one. One day Frannie knocks on our door and says, "Mattie stops at each corner and sits until I tell her to move. Did you teach her that?" Yep!

This dog spent the night at our house when she traveled or we just got her because Fran would call and say, "I'm out with my friends would you walk her?" We would walk her and then bring her home to our house. That grew my love of big dogs. 
She was so sweet and such a good dog. She and Rick were buddies from the get go.
Our fences border our townhomes. One day Mattie jumped on the chair against the fence while Rick had his head down looking at the grill. When he closed the grill cover there was Mattie's face right in front of him and it scared the shit out of him. I was just walking out the back door to see this at the exact moment. Honestly it made me laugh.

There were also times that Mattie would climb that chair and look into our windows and bark until Rick came out. I would call for Rick and tell him his little furry friend wants to play.  She was the sweetest dog.  We even thought of putting in a doggy door in our fence but then they moved.

She moved to Leesburg after getting married, a town a few miles away from me so I don't see her often.
But we saw her a few months ago and she and Izzy chewed sticks and she makes Izzy very jealous because Mattie just loves on Rick big time.  Izzy doesn't think anyone should get Rick's attention other than herself. (that includes me)

Today Fran called to tell me that Mattie has cancer.
Mattie had a lump on her shoulder that the vet kept telling them was a fatty lump and nothing more. They did a test on it and it was nothing. Now it is something. They can't offer her much except some relief for awhile until they decide as a family when to put her down.
Mattie was 12 in January. That is a good long life for a Golden. But it still breaks my heart.

Here is Mattie in her younger days. This has to be the first year we had our lake house because there still was gravel instead of a real driveway. So I'm guessing this is 2003.
She was scared of water. We threw her favorite ball in and she whimpered so. Rick kept luring her into the water slowly, ever so slowly, until she was swimming. Then she realized she like this swimming stuff!

Thanks for all the love Mattie.
And Izzy thanks you too. We wouldn't have gotten her without your sweet nature and affection!