Sweet Zorba. At 13.5 years old he was ready to leave earth to start his next adventure. I’m never ready to see them go though. It is always hard on the ones left behind.
I was blessed to get Zorba from another musher when he was quite young. He worked so hard that he couldn’t do the longer distances of his original owner so he came into my life all full of spunk, high energy and speed. He was a super sprint dog that got along with everyone and always had a happy smile. He never barked much but had a long wooo whooooooooooo. He was always easy to pick out when dogs were barking.
One of my first memories is when I was hooking up at team at Musher’s Hall. I hadn’t let him loose before and with his energy I wasn’t about to try that day. But when I had a lot of the team hooked up and went back for him, he pulled away and shot down the trail in a cloud of snow. OH NO!! I called for him and he slowed, looked back and realized that HIS team wasn’t with him. He came running back up the hill as fast as he went down and was put into the team. He earned my trust that day.
He had IBS most of his life which was hard to figure out at first. How to get his system under control and weight on him. After trying different foods I finally found one that worked for him and he gained weight and was a happy dog for his later years. But age caught up to him and his body gave out. I’m sad, but so happy that he spent so many years of his life with me and the pack. And heartily welcomed Don into that pack.
I will miss him as I miss all the other dogs that have come and gone in my life. There is a special place that I’m planning on meeting them all again somewhere far down the road.
Love you Zorba.
