From the outhouse to the penthouse

For personal reference later in life, here is Satilla’s story. She came to Jason and I as a stray in Ludowici, GA the summer of 2002 while we worked for Rayonier, Inc. which is a timber company. I saw her waddling around the office one morning as we pulled out and headed to the Satilla Forest to cruise some 15 year old pulpwood. She was only 5 months old at the time and a wormy little pup. Her ears were too big for her face. Her tail was really, really long. And her hair was all wiry and curly but only along the top of her back. The guys fortunate enough to spend part of the 100 degree days in the air conditioned office informed me, when we returned from the woods at 5pm, that she hung around the whole day. She immediately approached me as I stepped out of the work truck; she smelt my lunch box I’m sure. But of course, she loved on me too– and you know I can’t resist that! I gave her some love too :O)

Well… the guys (minus Jason who had went inside) convinced me that I needed a pup, and I agreed! As funny as everyone thought she looked, I thought it was ADORABLE! So, when Jason came back outside I explained to him how that I wanted to take this deadgrass colored, wormy, funny looking dog home with me. He proceeded to explain how that it would be impossible because we worked four, 10hr days which wouldn’t be adequate time to spend with a dog. See Jason grew up training bird dogs and knew the bonds that can be established between pets and their people– I did good to keep dogs off of Hwy 56 and never knew of those bonds. Plus… come to find out later; Jason thought she was the ugliest dog he had ever seen.

Then the conversation becomes a little foggy between Jason and I… guess I just batted my eyes and pleaded for this pup’s life, and to Glennville, GA she went (this is where we stayed in Rayonier housing). She hated her lead and wrapped herself around the light pole a couple of days afterwards, so I knew I had to find a better way of keeping her while at work. I was fortunate enough to borrow a pen for the backyard where she spent the rest of the summer with me before making her way back to college. Yes, Miss Satilla is a Clemson Tiger. Everyone I was in college with asks about her because she attended EVERYTHING with Jason and I except for class.

Her name, of course, came from the forest that we worked on. I told Jason he could pick her name, but that it had to be one of three: Satilla, Ludowici, or Altamaha (a river in the area). Pretty sure that wasn’t a hard decision for him :O)

Now… fast forward to 2009.

Satilla is daddy’s girl. He has trained her to be his bird hunting companion and she simply ADORES him for it. She’s mommy’s girl when she’s being punished though lol. I remind her during those times too that her daddy didn’t even want her when she was little and thought she was ugly. lol. She’s our girl and our first Chesapeake Bay Retriever. No papers, but confirmed by MANY vets that she’s a Chessy… especially with the white patch on her chest and one white toe. Here are a few of the many pics I’ll post on here throughout my blogging days.

Duck Hunting 2009
Jason has trained her to retrieve the remote when he is too lazy to get off the couch and find it himself. Pitiful! She now thinks it is a toy. When we come home for the day and let her in, she runs and finds the remote, then runs back outside hoping we’ll play with her.

Satilla has always been really photogenic I guess you would say. We thought the neighbor dog’s “old lady hat” was the perfect laugh for the day! Satilla didn’t think so; check out that face! LOL.