Kody

I can't really put 2014 to bed without addressing the passing of our multiple-personality husky-pup Kody, also known as The Kodeman, Kodalicious, 12-watt (a reference to his mental acuity), Brownout (another such reference), Bozo, Wolfboy, The Perp and Poochface. This list doesn't include his pre-Burk personnas of Crackers (his dog shelter website moniker) or Porter (his foster-family label). It was no wonder he (and we) had a hard time figuring out just who he was.

And for the record, I'm writing this post as Kody's sort of grandfather, as he was actually our elder daughter Christy's dog. But when Christy moved out of our house to her own apartment in 2013, Kody remained behind as her landlord doesn't allow pets. To be candid, there were other reasons for this custody arrangement but I can't say more without violating my non-disclosure agreement.

So let's get started. We rescued Kody from a local shelter after seeing his puppy picture on their website. They told us he had been found as a stray in Arenac County, just north of the Bay City area. In retrospect, it might have been the shelter that was actually rescued. Little did we know. But as with almost all puppies, Kody was as cute as a button. Here are a few early shots, shortly after "delivery".

And here are a couple of pics of Kody getting to know his "Aunt" Copper, who was just a tad put out with all the fuss over the new addition. (Copper and other pre-Kody canines will be highlighted in a follow-up post later this year).

By the shelter's estimate, Kody was about six months old when he moved in in 2004. A foster family brought him over to meet us, including Copper, and to evaluate our fitness for dog ownership. Christy and Nancy's obvious qualifications were, in the end, able to overcome my shortcomings, and we passed.

At first (say, about a year), Kody was a model inmate. He was pretty quiet, broke no family pet rules, showed an early interest in playing fetch, and was a pretty good cuddler. He also quickly took to Avon Rae, our then family cottage on Ipperwash beach in Ontario. Here are some shots of Kody enjoying an early weekend as a non-resident alien. First, checking out the wrap-around screen porch that was Avon Rae's finest feature.

Enjoying the view of southern Lake Huron.

Discovering the beach,

and the joys of the lake.

And finally, waiting with anticipation at the kitchen door with Aunt Copper. This was a common scene when there was meat on the grill on the back patio.

Throughout his time, Kody had a few favorite spots to pass the day in between playtime and meals. Here he is nestled in one of them, a brown hassock wedged between the sofa and work station in Nancy's office. This position gave Kody a good view of the neighbors' driveway, in case any suspicious characters walked by that needed a little barking at. From this spot he could also hear a UPS truck from more than a block away. And they always needed barking at.

Another favorite spot was his mom Christy's bed. Normally not permitted on furniture, Kody seem to relish this exception to the rule. He spent much time here as his mother studied her medical coding texts and tended to other tasks in their private sanctuary. 

When these cushy spots were unavailable, there were other, sometimes strange venues he liked. One was up against the door between our kitchen and living room, often contorting himself into positions that looked painful.
 

The fact that this was a busy thoroughfare in our house didn't deter him one bit, despite an occasional squeeze play.

Here's a shot of one of his pet family room positions.

Here is Kody in another of his regular hangouts, usually right about 5:00 pm, his dinner time. The door he is brushing up against is the pantry, within which was a large tub of dogfood. Have I mentioned that Kody didn't miss many meals, none of which ever lasted more than about 90 seconds?

As Kody "matured", he began to exhibit other qualities. One of his most endearing was a gift for mischief which usually manifested itself as playfulness. He loved stealing shoes and slippers and other household items, sneaking into places he wasn't supposed to go, and bringing his favorite toys to you for a little fetch. Here he is in a couple of shots defending recent thefts of slippers, looking for a little tug of war.

 
And here at Wiser Times looking to see if anyone has noticed his poaching of Nancy' birdbath brush.

Banned from the living room unless accompanied by a human, sneaking in to keep watch on Vernier Road was a favorite pastime. Here is an early shot of Kody learning the ropes from Aunt Copper,

And a later shot of Kody "soloing" in this doggie delight.

Of course, occasionally this sense of mischief resulted in behavior that was less entertaining, like this day when he was caught on a doggie spy-cam "red-pawed" digging out a trash basket in the furnace room.

And this time when a seemingly innocent exploration of the half-bath at Wiser Times ended in this embarrassing development.

No, that's not an ultra-modern, over-sized flea collar. It's the swivel-top lid to the wastebasket, which apparently swivels only one way.

Now, most of you probably realize that being a member of the Burk family means a lot of car time. So it is for our dogs. But after a slightly bumpy start involving tranquilizers and in-car tethers, Kody actually became a good traveler. As long as the turn indicator wasn't engaged or the car didn't change speeds. Or no other person came within a furlong of the car. Okay. He was only a fair rider. But once we learned to let him ride in his crate, he was much better. Here he is enjoying a now rare out-of-crate ride, snuggling with "grandma" during the transport of a new kayak to the cottage. 

 

At this point I'd like to deal with a vicious rumor, circulating around the Pointes, that Kody had a "problem" relating to other dogs and strangers. Just because he wasn't seen in person for several years by anybody but immediate family and certain doggie behaviorists is no reason to presume an over-the-top, aggressive paranoia toward all living creatures. He just had a full calendar and couldn't fit all those family events in, what with his frequent spa-goer privileges and all.

And one other thing. While it's true that during Kody's tenure in our family one of our taller members did twice seek the services of an after-hours clinic for puncture wounds, a review of the official homeowner's insurance investigation report clearly shows that those injuries were due solely to operator error of office equipment. Staplers can be tricky. Hole punches, too. Especially the big ones.

As proof of Kody's non-involvement in those events and his longstanding status as my BFF, here are a couple of pics that define our relationship. First, Kody springing to my rescue after another operator error incident, this one with a recliner.

  
And this shot of Kody and I enjoying a quiet evening at home (yes, my cocktail glass was drained just before this picture was taken).

To make the point further, here is a series of pics of Kody enjoying the finer things in life, like opening presents at Christmas.

Enjoying one last roll in the leaves before they go up in smoke during our annual leaf-burning weekend at Wiser Times.

A frolic in the snow.

Followed by a nap by the fire.

At Wiser Times, keeping a watchful eye out for renegade geese on the shores of Lake Huron.

Enjoying an afternoon under a favorite tree.

Waiting to scare the pants off a chipmunk scurrying across the deck.

And under the coffee table sleeping off a hard day of barking at beach walkers.

Back in Grosse Pointe, helping mom with a little baking.

Offering his red football for a little game of fetch, a favorite happy hour activity (a good Manhattan brings out the best in most of us).

And a few shots of Kody lounging on our deck and drive, his favorite place to catch a few rays and commune with the large population of squirrels and songbirds that frequent our yard.

So, I think it's safe to say that Kody was a happy dog who had a good life. He was smart, pretty, loyal to a fault, and affectionate with family. Like us all, he had his warts. But he had a knack for working his way into your heart.

And capping off this fine life was what I like to think of as "Kody's farewell tour". Last May he was diagnosed with a liver disorder that eventually claimed him in November. But from May to November, he was spectacular. Due to the illness (and some magical meds), his temperament mellowed out. He was able to enjoy the full calendar of Burk family events, meeting many new people and making new friends and admirers. The crown jewel of the tour was his participation at our annual Labor Day Listening Room at Wiser Times, an event he had never "qualified" for in the past. It was grand to see others meet and grow fond of the Kody we in the family had always known. Here are some pics from that weekend.

This first one is of our typical group dinner shot of the weekend's attendees. Note the new edition in the bottom right of the photo, at the ready for any potential table droppings (and proof of his rebooted personality).

Here's Kody basking in the attention of new friends, and enjoying every minute of it.

This final pic from that weekend was taken by my good friend Quinton Anderson, who caught Kody tucked under the coffee table in the Wiser Times family room, nestled with his favorite cottage toy. I like to think he's deep in thought, wondering just how he might steal goodies from that bathroom wastebasket without getting the lid stuck on his head.

We miss you Kody, but are so glad we knew you.