"Gumbo"
11" x 11"
watercolor
on board
As I walked up the drive to this wonderfully warm home, I was met at the door by Sandra Summers. Sandra had commissioned the portrait of their black lab, Gumbo, as a birthday present. She had given Gumbo to Franz for his 50th birthday three years earlier and wanted the portrait to complete the gift.
She explained the “birthday-dog” history: In her search of the perfect dog, Sandra found Wildrose Kennels in Oxford, Mississippi. Wildrose produces top quality labs from a British line and pairs you with the best match for your family. At the time, Sandra and Franz lived in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and had been discussing adopting a dog for some time. They knew they wanted a dog with a calm disposition and even temperament. She called Wildrose in October 2004, and spoke with owner Mike Stewart. “Well,” Mike said abruptly “We don’t do birthday dogs or Christmas dogs.” Sandra learned that the litters were wait-listed many months in advance.
In early December 2004, Sandra and Franz decided to travel to Oxford to view the dogs at Wildrose and decided to purchase one of the Wildrose pups. Almost a year later, August 19, 2005, Gumbo was born and shortly thereafter they flew in to pick him up. They returned again about 8 months later for Gumbo to begin his training and they visited him regularly. This continued for the next 2 years. Sandra and Franz found that they really enjoyed their time and activities in Oxford so they decided to make it their home.
Sandra continued with the history: “We then decided that Gumbo needed a friend. We again went to Wildrose and purchased another male black lab, Gator, out of the same mother. We also recently adopted Heather from Mike. Heather is our female black lab that developed hip dysplasia. She is not able to be bred so we added her to our home. It’s a joke around here because we got her papers on my birthday.”
Sandra and I had been talking around a table located between the kitchen and living area. As we talked, the three dogs lazed side by side in the large colorful living room. Amidst all the color, were the three black labs, each on a cozy round bed placed in a clover shape or at least they had ended up that way.
Sandra had been talking about bloodlines and hunting trials and walked into another room. She returned with a file full of papers, including registration certificates and magazine and newspaper articles on the extensive breeding and training programs offered by Wildrose. “Some people move for schools for their children. We moved for our dogs.”
It seems that Gumbo, the oldest of their labs, had yet to obtain his Hunter Retriever title. “He’s loving and gentle and just wants to be with you,” she said. We rustled Gumbo from his bed and took him outside for his photo session. It was a warm sunny day and he was so camera friendly that I got nearly 100 good photographs. “He smiles a lot,” Sandra said standing nearby. “Just watch him and he will smile”.
As I drove home I realized that these lovely, well-behaved dogs slept in the center of this home were indeed the heart of it.
A few days passed and Sandra sent an email with the subject-line “Gumbo in Training”. There it was —the perfect photo of Gumbo smiling.
“Gumbo was the birthday gift that wasn’t,” she laughed. “So this portrait will fulfill my wish to give Gumbo as a birthday present.”
p.s. Gumbo did finally receive his Hunter Retriever title.
Vicki Wood, JD 04/08 ©