THE BOOK OF BARKLEY: Fly Free Choppy

Monday, May 4, 2020

Fly Free Choppy

National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day (Photo from Travels with Choppy Blog)

I love everyone in Blogville but Choppy the dog was a particular favorite and I was stunned today to read he suddenly went to the Bridge shortly following surgery for a torn CCL and meniscus. He was only 11.

I first met his Mom Sarah through social media when I lived in Indianpolis and she lived in the area working as a attorney. We both supported the same dog rescue organization and started to chat.

Choppy was an amazing dog - he went with her everywhere, hiking and walking all over the United States, including Alaska (Choppy's Mom is a Travel Writer of multiple books). When Sarah got married and moved North, North to Wisconsin, Choppy still spent time walking but at home, he was known for wearing silly costumes (which he LOVED to don) and balancing an assortment of things on his head while he annoyed his nemesis Schooner the cat.

He also is the star of a book of corny dog jokes on Amazon which makes me laugh every time I pick it up.

You are so going to be missed Choppy. https://travelswithchoppy.com/

7 comments:

Ruby Rose and the Big Little Angels 3May 4, 2020 at 10:11 PM
I am so sorry to read this. We have visited his page a lot. Very tragic news.
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Matilda the BoxerMay 5, 2020 at 11:16 AM
Oh, so sorry to hear this. So many of our original blogging buddies have gone. :(
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Tails Around the RanchMay 5, 2020 at 11:41 AM
We were equally shocked at reading about sweet Choppy's passing yesterday. Too many good dogs and kitties have crossed the Bridge lately. 💔
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Hailey and Zaphod and their LadyMay 5, 2020 at 3:25 PM
I never meet Choppy. So sad to hear about his death. Run free.
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SarahMay 5, 2020 at 5:34 PM
Thank you for this lovely tribute. I have been blown away by the outpouring of love for Choppy. It has brightened my low spirits to know that Choppy was so loved.
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HelenMay 6, 2020 at 6:01 PM
Oh so sad. No matter how long our dogs are with us, it is never long enough.
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Lovable LilyMay 7, 2020 at 5:42 PM
I'm so very sorry to hear about your furend Choppy. What a beautiful life Choppy lived. We went over and read his Mom's blog. Made me cry. I cried for Choppy. I cried for Mom. I cried for all our babies at the Bridge. My most sincere condolences to all who knew and loved Choppy.
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Welcome to The Book of Barkley and the Blogville dog blogging community. This blog was created for more memories of Barkley as well as updates on our Lab Rescues that have joined our household since Barkley left us.

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FIVE STARS

No one who has ever had a dog as a companion will be able to read The Book of Barkley: Love and Life through the Eyes of a Labrador Retriever by L. B. Johnson with dry eyes.

Johnson tells the story of her life, from childhood to adulthood, from the perspective of her relationship with Barkley, a Lab that she got when he was just a stubborn ball of fur who ‘selected’ her when she viewed the litter of which he was a part. Her descriptions of adjusting to Barkley’s presence in her life, and how this helped her come to terms with and understand her past and learn to take life a day at a time on her own terms will resonate profoundly with anyone who has fallen in love with a dog and had to learn to live with its loss.

This is a story of unconditional love and acceptance, the kind that asks nothing but love in return. As Johnson and Barkley forge bonds of trust and understanding, she also strengthens her human relationships.

This is much more than a mere memoir – it is a story of life and how to live it, and how we humans can learn to live our lives better if we’d only learn to live it like a dog does. The author uses language well, with descriptions of animals, people, and places so vivid you feel that you can feel the textures, smell the odors (pleasant and otherwise) and hear the whining of a puppy needing to go out to do its business. Life can be sad or happy, and the author takes us through it all – a trip that you won’t regret taking. A five-star book that definitely merits the Awesome Indies Seal of Excellence

About Barkley and His Mom

My Mom started this blog due to requests from friends who wanted a place to go for stories of her furry friend Barkley that weren't in the book and stories of my rescue and new life in my furever home. She donates all of the proceeds from her writing to animal rescue and groups that train search and rescue and service dogs but that's OK, as she still gives me lots of dog treats and toys.

The Book of Barkley is Mom's first memoir. She used to be a jet pilot for somebody's Uncle but now has a Ph.D. in something involving science and forensics which is like TV but without expensive suits or cleavage. Additional mayhem is provided by my Dad and our 100-year-old "fixer upper" Mission Bungalow.

Her second memoir "Saving Grace - A Story of Adoption" was published in April of 2015". Her Third Book - "Small Town Roads", her first Fiction Novel was published October of 2016 and was an NPR selected "2017 must read" and 2017 Readers Favorite International Book Award GOLD for "Fiction - Religious Theme". Her 4th book, "Calexit, The Anthology", a Novella with other authors, was published in October of 2017 and was on the Amazon Best Seller's list two days later. Her fifth book "True Course - Lessons from Life Aloft" was a #1 best seller at Amazon 24 hours after publishing so I think she has been bribing you all with treats.

Abby - Mom's Lab Assistant