For Forever: It is with great sorrow that Abq Jew confirms that his beloved greyhound May-May has passed over to the Rainbow Bridge, at the age of 14 years, 9 months, and 10 days.
That is indeed an amazingly "ripe old age" for a greyhound. And although it sounds like May-May had many wonderful years with us - in fact, we were together for only seven years.
Retired racing greyhound May-May was found by the side of an Albuquerque road sometime in 2015; her owner could not be identified or located.
She was rescued by New Mexico Greyhound Connection (as was Belle), adopted by an elderly lady who surely loved her - but who had to return May-May when she moved to assisted living.
That was about a year after Henry passed(August 10, 2015; See Henry Run). On September 26, 2016, Belle welcomed May-May as her slightly older sister. They were together (and later, with Ziggy) until Belle passed (September 10, 2020; see See Belle Run).
Where, oh where, was May-May during her first six-and-a-half years? She never told us. Her ear tattoos seemed to be for a different dog, most likely from the same litter. And most certainly male.
Yes, May-May was assuredly raised with boys. She was the only bitch (that's a technical term) Mr & Mrs Abq Jew have known who lifted her leg to pee. She loved rubbing the side of our house; getting her butt scratched; and barking. And rooing. And just being with us.
And yes, May-May required special treatment - which Mr & Mrs Abq Jew knew when we adopted her. She was seven and a half then - our oldest rescue. And we planned things so that May-May was never the only dog in our home.
Above all else, May-May was sweet and gentle. All she asked for was a little bit of love, every now and then - too much was too much. To sleep right next to Mrs Abq Jew's bed every night, and to awaken there, happy, every morning.
Miracles Do Happen! We are enormously pleased to welcome our newest and youngest (20 months) Greyhound into our family!
Belle arrived yesterday by chauffeured minivan from Derby Lane in St Petersburg, Florida, the oldest track in the US. There was a kennel fire at Derby Lane a couple of months ago, and James Campbell, the kennel owner / trainer, rushed into the fire and saved all 46 of his dogs. Belle was one of them.
Belle was scheduled to be adopted out - she never raced - until a spider bite (!) almost got her put down. But the Naples / Fort Myers chapter of Greyhound Pets of America stopped that. Belle was treated for the spider bite and recovered - then got an infected cuticle that, again, almost delayed her departure.
But we wanted to adopt Belle, and no one else. To us, she is one in a million. (To the Greyhound racing industry, she is one of a million.)
So when Belle arrived and we saw how bad her toe actually looked - and that she was hopping around on three legs - we took her to our [then] local Greyhound vet, Dr George Abernathy of Sunrise Veterinary Clinic.
Today he removed the infected nail - but, fortunately, did not have to remove the toe. We'll change the dressing tomorrow, then , in two weeks, remove her sutures. Then - watch out! Belle is awfully fast on three legs - we can hardly wait to see her race Henry (her big brother) on all four!
Mrs Abq Jew writes:
We had Belle longer than any of our other hounds. She came to us still a land shark, the survivor of a kennel fire and an untreated abscess that almost cost her her life. Thankfully the rescue group paid for treatment and she recovered, albeit with an untreated infection in a toe.
Belle’s first experience with us was going for surgery - which saved her toe, sans the nail. Her older brother Henry welcomed her home, and she became our little princess, beautiful, pesky and independent. She was so smart, letting Henry do the heavy lifting of following me around. Henry would chase Belle in the backyard just enough to get her to run back and forth 10 times and be exhausted.
When Henry passed (August 10, 2015; See Henry Run) we feared Belle might be upset as an only dog. She wasn’t. Instead, Belle decided she had to take over the job of supervising me; letting me know when it was time to wake up, serve meals, offer treats, go outside, or visit friends. She would get into bed with Mr Abq Jew before sunrise - and be ready to welcome the new day, and us, with jumps and whirlies.
Later (September 26, 2016), Belle welcomed May-May as her slightly older sister, eventually allowing May-May to play with the toys. May-May was afraid to be alone. and Belle reassured her that all was well if Mr & Mrs Abq Jew went out for a few hours.
After Belle was diagnosed with kidney disease, we knew the day might come when May-May could be alone. Belle did well on her new food and medication regimen, but we didn’t want May-May left alone.
So we adopted (May 14, 2019; Ziggy's Home) Ziggy Bubba, a young and Very Large Borzoi / Greyhound / Je Ne Sais Quoi boy.
Belle loved Ziggy from the start. She decided he was her son, and schooled him in backyard laps, the joy of toys, and lining up for treats and challah on Shabbat. She would leave him a little food in her bowl, as he liked to steal her food if she turned her back or walked away from her dish.
Belle fought her illness for 3½ years, still wanting to lead the pack, still watching over the other two. Our house seems to be empty without her. She is with Henry now. We all miss her.
Dear Friends in Placitas write:
So much love and mindfulness and her whole sweet and loving heart that Belle gave to you.
This is what they do, our companions, living with us in our homes. It is so very hard to say goodbye -which means God Be With Ye. We were so very sad to hear your news.
We were happy to have met Belle. What I remember is when we were seated around your table for dinner that I would feel a nudge - and there, on my lap, would be Belle, with very large eyes looking up at me.
Here is a long-distance, social-distancing embrace for you both today. What a day this is. And, of course, her memory will be for a blessing in your lives for all times, as she crosses the Rainbow Bridge.
Belle At The Track
Although Belle was born and raised on the track, due to her persistent infections, she never raced. She probably had no racing name - she'd been known since forever as Belle.
But Belle (like all track hounds) had tattoos. Left ear: 51093. Right ear: 79B (we think). Which, when Abq Jew looked it up on TrackInfo.com, showed that
Belle's parents appear to be State of the Art and Bohemian Rhea, and that Belle had a number of siblings, with names beginning with letters C, D, E, G, I, and J.
There's no B name (also no A or F or H). Abq Jew believes that Belle is the B, not listed because she has no track record - but has no proof.
Abq Jew looked Belle up on Greyhound-Data.com, without success - again, never registered to race, so no track record. But Abq Jew did find
a nice photo of Indy, Belle's brother. who was transferred to Adopt a Greyhound Atlanta for adoption.
Abq Jew: Some Final Words
Belle lived with us, and we lived with Belle, for 9½ years. Of that time, Belle spent 4½ years with Henry - who taught her everything she needed to know. After Henry passed, Belle - for 13 months, until we adopted May-May - became an only dog.
And really came into her own. She showed us how smart she was - an attribute carefully hidden while Henry was around. When May-May arrived, Belle ditched her Baby Belle persona and started to become Mama Belle.
When Ziggy arrived, Belle immediately claimed him as her long-lost son - he had the same red-on-white markings. Although he was twice her size.
Still - they adored each other. Ziggy added at least a year to Belle's life, and lovingly added life to her final months.
During her too-short time with us, Belle was always in charge. Even when she trembled and hid from thunderstorms and (even worse) firecrackers.
She gave us kisses (our only greyhound who ever has) and chattered her teeth (as many as she had left) to show her happiness. And Belle would sleep in Abq Jew's bed - whether or not he was there.
Belle has joined our beloved greyhounds Henry Nahum and Samson Tigerdog at the Rainbow Bridge, where, Mr & Mrs Abq Jew are sure, they are running free and playing together.
In tribute to Belle (and Henry and Sammy, and all other sighthounds), Abq Jew can do no better than the new folk song Ashokan Farewell.
"Ashokan Farewell" is a piece of music composed by American folk musician Jay Ungar in 1982.
For many years it served as a goodnight or farewell waltz at the annual Ashokan Fiddle & Dance Camps run by Ungar and his wife Molly Mason, who gave the tune its name, at the Ashokan Field Campus of SUNY New Paltz (now the Ashokan Center) in Upstate New York.
The tune was used as the title theme of the 1990 PBS television miniseries The Civil War. Despite its late date of composition, it was included in the 1991 compilation album Songs of the Civil War.
The Civil War drew the greatest attention to the piece. It is played 25 times throughout the eleven-hour series, including during the emotional reading of Sullivan Ballou's letter to his wife in the first episode.
The song underlies nearly an hour of film. Viewers of The Civil War frequently believe the melody is a traditional tune from the Civil War era; in fact, it is the only modern composition on the film's soundtrack, as all other music is authentic 19th-century music.
Forgiveness in the Age of 45: Does this hound look guilty? As Abq Jew first declared on Facebook, our Ziggy stole and quickly devoured an entire chicken breast, nicely cooked, right off the counter. Love him anyway, forever.
Yes, Abq Jew could have attempted an intervention. This, however, did not seem the wisest course of action. Especially since Abq Jew ...
... requires all of his fingers to play his guitar. Even as [un]well as he does.
The current issue of Moment Magazine (Ask The Rabbis | High Holidays) asks ... um, the rabbis ... an important question for this time of year:
Are There Things That Can't Be Forgiven?
Here are two responses that resonated with Abq Jew.
1. INDEPENDENT - Rabbi Gershon Winkler
The most unforgivable king in Jewish history was Menashe, son of Hezekiah, who led his kingdom into idolatry.
As they carried him off to Babylon in chains, he desperately turned to God for forgiveness. But the angels blocked the heavens with heavy furniture [see image above] and nailed in extra boards to prevent that mamzer's plea from being heard.
What did God do? While the angels were engaged in choir practice, He bored a tiny hole in the boarded-up heavenly floor so that He could hear Menashe's plea (Midrash Devarirn Rabbah 2:20).
But that's God's thing. For us mere mortals, it depends. If someone accidentally bumps a cart into you in the supermarket, you can forgive instantaneously.
On the other hand, if someone bumps you with an SUV, you may not be so quick to forgive as they fit your legs, hip and nose with prosthetics -because you're human, and you hope he loses all of his teeth except one, and that one has a toothache!
However, if we do transcend our mortality and forgive the sins committed against us by others, "God in turn will dismiss our sins" (Talmud. Bavli, Rosh Hashanah 17a).
2. CHABAD - Rabbi Simcha Backman
"What is crooked will not be able to be straightened, and what is missing will not be able to be counted" (Ecclesiastes l:15).
Some misdeeds have severe, irreversible effects and are seemingly beyond forgiveness. At the same time, at the core of Judaism is forgiveness. We are taught to emulate G-d and forgive, just as G-d is all-forgiving.
How do we reconcile these apparently contradictory ideas? We sometimes find ourselves in situations where the betrayal and pain are so great that we are justified in not forgiving. At those times, we need to remember the saying that
"Not forgiving someone is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die."
Forgiveness does more for the provider than the recipient. It does not magically make the pain go away, but it allows one to move past the hurt and begin healing. Not forgiving amplifies the consequences of a misdeed and perpetuates its negative effects.
Better to forgive and move on to a brighter future than hold on to an unforgivable offense and be stuck in a dark past.
Wall Street’s ‘Charging Bull’ has been defaced again, this time by a metal banjo
It has been splashed with paint — twice — stared down by the much-beloved “Fearless Girl” and repeatedly reviled as the symbol of corporate greed.
On Saturday afternoon, Wall Street’s long-suffering “Charging Bull” endured yet another attack that left it with a six-inch-long gash above its brow, along with a dozen deep scratches.
The alleged culprit? A Texas man wielding a fortified metal banjo.
Tevon Varlack, 42, of Dallas was charged with criminal mischief and disorderly conduct on Saturday in connection with the vandalism.
A witness told the New York Times that Varlack was cursing President Trump as he swung the banjo against the bronze sculpture, sending loud clanging through the Bowling Green park in Manhattan’s financial district and startling tourists hoping for a photo with the bull’s famous gonads.
Police declined to confirm this, writing only that the man responsible for the attack was “ranting incoherently.”
Aiden Pink of the Forward, however, reported the same incident somewhat differently.
Tallit-Wearing Man Smashes Wall Street Bull Statue With Banjo
A man who appeared to be wearing a tallit, a Jewish prayer shawl, was arrested Saturday after allegedly smashing the iconic Charging Bull statue in New York’s financial district.
Tevon Varlack of Dallas was arrested after allegedly damaging the bronze statue by repeatedly thwacking it with a banjo, ArtNet reported.
Varlack was reportedly wearing a t-shirt with the words “Let Us Not Forget The Ten Commandments,” leading some to wonder whether the action had anything to do with Moses’s destruction of the Golden Calf statue in the Bible.
Varlack was charged with criminal mischief, disorderly conduct, and criminal possession of a weapon (apparently a reference to the banjo), and was released on bail but told to stay away from city landmarks, according to ArtNet.
Varlack also repeatedly yelled “F—- Donald Trump” during his alleged attack on the bronze beast, the New York Daily News reported. The bull was left with a hole in its right horn and several scratches.
The Charging Bull statue has been a symbol of New York’s financial sector since its installation in 1989, and drew new attention after another sculptor placed her own “Fearless Girl” statue in front of it.
Candidate Accused Of Anti-Semitism Unveils Ad Highlighting Jewish Heritage
A former CIA operative who faced criticism for sharing anti-Semitic articles on social media and is now running for Congress in New Mexico unveiled her first campaign ad on Monday, which included a reference to her Jewish heritage.
Valerie Plame, a former spy whose identity was leaked in one of the George W. Bush administration’s most notable scandals, released a video on Monday promoting her candidacy for the Democratic nomination in the Land of Enchantment’s third congressional district, which includes Santa Fe and the rest of the state’s north.
Her campaign video plays up her national security bona fides, even showing her performing a high-speed U-turn in a sports car while her voiceover states, “Yes, the CIA really does teach us how to drive like this.”
Plame attracted controversy in 2017 after tweeting links to anti-Semitic articles from a Holocaust-denying website, including one headlined “American Jews Are Driving America’s Wars” and another that claimed that Israel was behind the 9/11 terror attacks. Plame at first defended her comments before apologizing and deleting her Twitter account. It has not be revived since.
Plame again apologized in May 2019 in interviews on CNN and MSNBC after she announced her candidacy, claiming that she had only “skimmed” the articles she shared. “I’m human and we all make mistakes,” she said. “It was just a doozy, and it was very public.”
Plame’s campaign ad notes that she is descended from Ukrainian Jewish immigrants. Plame’s paternal grandfather was Jewish, a fact that she did not know until she was an adult, she admitted in her memoir. Plame was raised Protestant.
And Then There's Sallie Mae
Illustration by Luci Gutiérrez
When we Jews gather on Yom Kippur, we will all hope and pray and plead that the New Year will see us being forgiven ... for the student loan burden we all (well, almost all) carry.
Colin Nissan of The New Yorker | Shouts & Murmurs assures us, however, that if (G-d forbid!) forgiveness doesn't come - there is a way to pay off those student loans. He begins ...
Pay Off Your Student Debt in Three Easy Lifetimes
At Extended-Student-Loan Solutions, we believe that the problem of student-loan debt is larger than life. This life, that is. That’s why we’re giving you two more lifetimes to pay it off.
Q: Just so I’m completely clear on this, what the f**k are you talking about?
A: We hear all the time from anxious students who think they’ll probably grow old and die before they pay off their loans. We’re proud to be able to look them in the eye and say, “Go ahead and die. We’ve got you covered.”
Q: How can I continue my payments if I’m dead?
A: Our patented reincarnation software tracks you as you move into your next life, seamlessly transferring your loan to the new you so that you don’t miss a single payment.
Q: How exactly does this benefit me?
A: By extending your loan’s “life,” so to speak, we’re able to decrease your monthly payments while increasing our chances of getting repaid. Imagine reducing the stress that comes with paying off an unreasonably large sum of money in one lifetime. Then imagine us reducing the stress of loaning those sums of money to people who majored in philosophy.
Q: So, are you saying I can stop making payments now and just let my future selves cover the rest?
A: Unfortunately, no. It’s going to take all three of you to close this thing out.
And Then There's Ziggy
Illustration by Luci Gutiérrez
As all of you avid The New Yorker readers (you are, aren't you) will surely recall, it was indeed Colin Nissan who, back in May, advised us
O.K., You Can Get a Dog
So Abq Jew is pretty sure that Colin's plan for paying off student loans will, as they say, pan out.
Q: What if I actually pay off my loan before I die, in this life?
Borzoi, Greyhound, Je Ne Sais Quoi:Mr & Mrs Abq Jew are happy to announce the latest addition to our sight-hound family.
You've already met Belle and May-May (see October 2016's Temporary Dwellings) and learned their stories.
Ziggy (formerly, albeit briefly, known as Edwin) has his own story to tell.
If only he could!
Edwin (Ziggy) is an estimated 3 year old white and red borzoi / greyhound / mixed breed male. Edwin was found in Royse City [Texas] with Lottie and Ervin; a nice couple in the countryside fed them and called GALT to pick them up.
Ziggy's age can only be estimated, because he did not have his driver's license with him when he was found. Or a tag. Or a microchip.
But his breed? That we can be more sure about, thanks to the genetic health analysis done by
Discover the secrets of your dog's DNA
Using the latest science, this test scans your dog’s DNA,
both for ancestry information and specific genetic markers.
Your veterinarian can use this information to create
a custom health and wellness plan based on
your dog’s genetic code.
Here is the chart that Royal Canin produced for Ziggy.
Which shows that Ziggy is
4 parts Borzoi (Russian Wolfhound)
3 parts Greyhound
1 part Je Ne Sais Quoi ("Mixed Breed")
Now, Mr & Mrs Abq Jew knew that Ziggy was BIG before they adopted him. Ziggy's foster mom had written us
Not only is he stunningly gorgeous, he is also a sweet, sweet boy. He absolutely loves people, and is a big tailwagger.
Y’all know how big he is, right? My older dog is 82 lbs, and Ed stands a good 5-6” above him. He does crate well, but he needs a giant crate—a 48”, and he still can’t stand all the way up.
When we first met Ziggy, we confirmed his foster mom's description. Still, at some early point, Abq Jew's reaction to Ziggy's SIZE was
But Ziggy's foster mom and GALT prepared Ziggy for home life very, very well. Abq Jew's response quickly changed to
And as for Ziggy's name -
You psychology / psychiatry fans might think that Ziggy is named for Sigmund Freud. What do you think that means?
Sigmund Freud (born Sigismund Schlomo Freud; 6 May 1856 – 23 September 1939) was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis, a clinical method for treating psychopathology through dialogue between a patient and a psychoanalyst.
And you history buffs will automatically turn to the well-known and very popular (in certain circles) Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor.
Sigismund of Luxembourg (15 February 1368 in Nuremberg – 9 December 1437 in Znaim, Moravia) was Prince-elector of Brandenburg from 1378 until 1388 and from 1411 until 1415, King of Hungary and Croatia from 1387, King of Germany from 1411, King of Bohemia from 1419, King of Italy from 1431, and Holy Roman Emperor from 1433 until 1437, and the last male member of the House of Luxembourg.
In 1396 he led the Crusade of Nicopolis, which attempted to liberate Bulgaria and save the Byzantine Empire and Constantinople from Ottoman rule. Afterwards, he founded the Order of the Dragon to fight the Turks.
Which is to barely mention some of the other possibilities:
And - of course! - Sigismondi Bros Farm. In beautiful Manalapan, New Jersey. They used to have the best nursery in Livingston, NJ.
Ah, but up till now there's been only one Ziggy for whom the angels sang!
Harry Aaron Finkelman (May 26, 1914 – June 26, 1968), known professionally as Ziggy Elman, was an American jazz trumpeter associated with Benny Goodman, though he also led his group Ziggy Elman and His Orchestra.
Elman was born in Philadelphia, but his family settled in Atlantic City, New Jersey when he was four. His father was a violinist who had hoped Elman would play violin. Although he did learn to play violin, he preferred brass instruments. He began playing for Jewish weddings and nightclubs at age 15.
His 1939 composition "And the Angels Sing" with lyrics by Johnny Mercer (recorded in December 1938 by his own band as an instrumental, "Frailach in Swing" based on the 1918 recording of "Der Shtiller Bulgar" (The quiet Bulgar) by Abe Schwartz) became the number one song in the nation.
But whence did Ziggy Elman get his name? Christopher Popa's interview of Ziggy's son Martin Elman appeared in the November 2005 Big Band Library.
Where did the name "Ziggy" come from?
"I think he took it from Ziegfeld," Martin responded.
Florenz Ziegfeld (1869–1932) was a Jewish-American [not really] impresario who created a series of theatrical spectaculars, called "the Ziegfeld Follies."
Elman evidently enjoyed spending his breaks at work surrounded by chorus girls, so the moniker seemed to fit.
As for the last name "Elman," it was a shortened version of Finkelman.
What was it like to grow up as Ziggy Elman's son?
The public voted him their favorite trumpeter in quite a number of Down Beat and Metronome polls. But it wasn't until several years afterwards that his own son, Martin, understood how special Ziggy Elman was.
"It started when I was about 11 or 12, I really started noticing it, you know, who he really was," Martin told me. "We'd go to Vegas for 10 or 12-week shows with Mickey Katz. We'd stay up there all summer."
Had his friends at school realized who his father was?
"A lot of the teachers did," Martin said. "Not many schoolmates... The people on my street did."
And then, there was Ziggy Elman's trumpet-playing style.
Elman's trumpet was joyous, unrestrained, and... loud.
"Very loud, yeah," Martin agreed.
His tone was clear and enunciated.
"It was very sharp. When I listen to the radio, I can pick it out," Martin said.
And it caught Benny Goodman's attention. Goodman offered Elman a job in September 1936.
Harry James joined Goodman in January 1937 and, with Elman and the third trumpeter, Chris Griffin, they became known for their collective ferocity and were nicknamed "The Biting Brass."
Here is And The Angels Sing. For our Ziggy, and for all the rescue-able greyhounds, sight-hounds, hounds, and other dogs out there looking for a furever home. Oh, alright. For the cats, too.
No Sukkot Required: Now that Yom Kippur and the Days of Awe have passed, Jews all over the world turn to rejoicing.
We complete building our sukkot (booths) - with a brief intermission for Shabbat Ha'azinu - round up our lulav and etrog (the four species), and wait with eager anticipation for the Festival of Sukkot - the Season of Our Joy - to begin.
We recite the Full Hallel for all the days of the holiday, for our joy is complete. Yet we eat meals in the sukkah - a rickety, temporary dwelling.
The sukkah is called a “temporal dwelling,” as distinct from the “permanent dwelling” in which people normally live.
On the basis of this the idea has been read into the sukkah of a symbolic surrender of too-close an attachment to material things. The Jew leaves his house to stay in the sukkah where he enjoys divine protection.
Judaism does not frown on material possessions, if these are honestly acquired, but, by leaving his home to stay in the sukkah, the Jew declares that it is the spiritual side of human existence that brings true joy into life.
Here is Abq Jew's view:
The sukkah teaches us that all our dwellings are temporary.
Here are a few examples. All of us know even more.
Retired racing greyhound Belle survived a Florida kennel fire. She got sick and almost died (and was almost put down) more than once - greyhound breeders do not spend money on more veterinary care than the law requires. Belle made her forever home with Mr & Mrs Abq Jew in 2011.
Retired racing greyhound May-May was found by the side of an Albuquerque road about a year ago; her owner could not be identified or located. She was rescued by New Mexico Greyhound Connection (as was Belle), adopted by an elderly lady who surely loved her - but who recently had to return May-May when she moved to assisted living. Mr & Mrs Abq Jew are currently fostering May-May, and hope to adopt her soon. (This is known as a "foster fail" among greyhound rescuers.)
Great Grand Mama moved from a large, beautiful home in Brooklyn to a terrific apartment in Manhattan to a nice apartment in Hollywood, Florida to a senior apartment in Livingston, New Jersey, where Mr & Mrs Abq Jew then lived.
After a couple years of pleading, she followed Mr & Mrs Abq Jew to Albuquerque where she lived in a luxurious independent living facility. GGM has just now moved to a (truly) glorious assisted living facility in Rio Rancho.
All of the above transitions were, shall we say, difficult but manageable.
And then there is Haiti and Hurricane Matthew. Weather.com tells us
When spoken in the same sentence, the words 'hurricane' and 'Haiti' often create cold sweats and an abundance of worry in the minds of the nation's residents, meteorologists and weather observers alike.
Haiti is one of the most fragile hurricane-prone countries on the planet.
To be clear, it does not take a hurricane, or even a tropical cyclone, to cause damage and destruction in Haiti. But hurricanes are the worst of the worst for the country ....
Even responding to a natural disaster like Hurricane Matthew - in Haita, in North Carolina - may be, shall we say, difficult but manageable. For the survivors.
But then - as Rabbi Evelyn Baz of Congregation B'nai Israel reminded us on Yom Kippur - there is Aleppo, and all of Syria, a long-term, man-made disaster that is not beyond our comprehension, for we have all seen it before.
Because all dwellings are temporary, we Jews rejoice in our sukkot during our festival.
Haven't built your sukkah yet? Need help? Abq Jew is happy to provide advice from Rebbetzin Rivka Leah Zelwig!
Love Black Greyhounds:Abq Jew would like to thank everyone who responded to his recent post, See Henry Run. Taking Henry to the Rainbow Bridge was hard, but your sympathy and support helped make the heartache bearable.
Here are some of the comments Mr & Mrs Abq Jew received from friends and family.
Blessings! Henry was a strong and beautiful spirit. A gentleman at all times. Sending love!
It is tough losing a member of the family. He was special. So sad to have lost my lover boy!
My condolences on the loss of your boon companion.
My his memory always be for a blessing.
Ooooh so sad for you, we love them so much and it hurts when they have to leave us. I know you will miss him.
May his memory forever be a blessing to you and your family.
I also know the pain of the loss of an animal family member. I am sorry for your loss and glad for the joy you gave each other.
My heart breaks for you. Our pets are our children forever.
You gave each other a good life. Can't ask for better than that. I'm sure his memory is a blessing.
A heart-breaking transition. My heart is broken for you and your family.
Sorry for your significant loss. I remember meeting Henry when you first got him. He was one lucky dog to have been adopted by your family ... you gave him a good life.
There is a Facebook group called Love Black Greyhounds - a public group, with more than 6,800 members, dedicated to you know what. Abq Jew shared Henry's obituary with the group, who responded with 247 Likes and 148 comments.
So sorry. Thinking of you and your sweet Henry today. He was beautiful!
So sad. I'm sure he knew he was loved.
So very sorry. Always so hard. Always in our hearts.
"He took my heart and ran with it, and I hope he's running still, fast and strong, a piece of my heart bound up with his forever."- Patricia McConnell
Run free, Henry.
Peace to you both. May his beauty live in your hearts forever.
To touch your face, to see you smile, To lie beside you for awhile, To walk to the park and watch you play That is my greatest dream today. We will never truly be apart. For you've left your pawprint On my heart. (by Violets n Timothee)
My heart goes out to you. Its been 5 months since my black greyhound crossed over, and not a day goes by that I don't talk to her and thank her for coming into my life. Blessings and prayers to you and Henry.
RIP Henry. Wait by the Bridge.
Abq Jew would like to remind you, his loyal readers, that it's always the right time to adopt a retired racing greyhound. Here are three videos that explain why:
Forever: It is with great sorrow that Abq Jew confirms that his beloved greyhound Henry Nahum has passed over to the Rainbow Bridge.
Mrs Abq Jew writes:
Our wonderful greyhound Henry, (12 1/2 years old), went to the Rainbow Bridge Monday after a prolonged battle with kidney failure and weakness in his hind legs due to neurological injuries sustained as a racer.
He was a fine, handsome, brave, smart and loving dog. He was super gentle with children, babies and puppies, and took our younger greyhound Belle under his wing with patience and love. He was always willing to teach Belle by example and protect her.
Henry only wanted to be with us and managed to follow us around as ill and weak as he was. We will miss him every day.
Although Henry wasn’t our first dog, and wouldn’t be our last, he stood out in his humanity. He seemed to understand every word out of our mouths, from simple exclamations to complex commands. When we spoke, he listened attentively. Not with the quintessential head-tilt that might have indicated he was confused, but with eyes that were intense and focused. Greyhounds are known to have one of the largest hearts among dog breeds, but his eyes told the real story. Vibrantly brown and expressive, Henry could grin, snark, grimace, or pout with a single look.
When I was a teenager, Henry bit every member of my immediate family, on occasion. And on a break from college, in the midst of a full on sob-session after subjecting myself to the 90-minute misery that is Marley and Me, Henry bit me when I stumbled blindly over for comfort, and jolted him from his sleep. We never held it against him. For every half-asleep attack, there were a thousand moments of fully-conscious affection. He loved us far more than he feared us, and years later, he wouldn’t fear us at all.
When we lost our first dog, it was Henry’s quiet devotion that made it bearable. In our years with him, he stood pressed into our sides for every profound loss, and every moment of joy.
Henry Nahum (track name: Kelsos Darkvader) did most of his racing at the Raynham-Taunton Greyhound Park in Massachusetts. He ran both 550 yard (5/16 mile) and 660 yard (3/8 mile) races, winning about one quarter of them.
Henry could run 660 yards in a bit under 38 seconds - which is around 36 miles per hour. (He was much faster on the straightaways, but sometimes slowed down for the turns.) You could look it up.
Henry has joined our beloved first greyhound Samson Tigerdog (track name: Forbes Magneteer) at the Rainbow Bridge, where, Mr & Mrs Abq Jew are sure, they are running free and playing together.
In tribute to Henry (and Sammy, and all other racing and ex-racing greyhounds), Abq Jew can do no better than the old folk song about the racehorse Stewball.
The horse was foaled in 1741 and originally owned by Francis, 2nd Earl of Godolphin, and later sold.
His name has been recorded as "Squball", "Sku-ball", or "Stewball". He won many races in England and was sent to Ireland. The Irish turf calendar states that he won six races worth £508 in 1752, when he was eleven years old, and was the top-earning runner of that year in Ireland.
His most famous race took place on the plains of Kildare, Ireland, which is generally the subject of the song of the same name. The early ballad about the event has Skewball belonging to an Arthur Marvell or Mervin.
Based on the horse's name, Skewball was likely a skewbald horse. [A skewbald horse has a coat made up of white patches on a non-black base coat.]
Versions of the song were recorded by Woody Guthrie, Leadbelly, The Weavers, Joan Baez, Dan Fogelberg, and many others.
The Greenbriar Boys took Woody's lyrics and wrote a new tune, which is the tune used by Peter, Paul and Mary on their 1963 album In the Wind and on their 1995 album Lifelines Live (with several new or transplanted verses).
Oh Stewball was a racehorse
And I wish he were mine
He never drank water
He always drank wine
will always bring back memories of Henry.
Henry, too, never drank water. He slurped it; he guzzled it; he bathed in it; he stuck his whole head in it. He practically dived into the bowl. Most of the water splashed on the floor. If enough water went down his throat to satisfy his thirst, that was fine. And if not - another dive.
As for drinking wine - no, Henry never did. But he always showed up for Shabbat Kiddush and fresh challah. And he lived a rich life, filled with places he found interesting and people he found fascinating.
Oh Henry was a greyhound - and I'm glad he was mine.
