The Golf Report: Jimmy!

This past week many of us had to say good bye to one of our favorite dogs....Jimmy Nelson!

He had a good life rumbling through the 1,296 square feet of main level living area at the place that he called home 214 W. 15th Street, Carroll, IA 51401. He would meet every and all visitors at the door with enthusiasm and a tail that could knock the sturdiest of things on their side. The only one he did not like was the mail carrier from the United States Postal Service. This dislike may have been earned once upon a time by a certain federal employee.

I offer some of my favorite moments and memories of Jimmy.........

Where he made most of his friends was on Iowa Hawkeye game days which included some memorable victories at the Nelson household. He was a huge Hawkeye fan. He loved jumping around like he was laughing at the crazy Hawkeye fans screaming at the television. A game day at the Nelson will never be the same from here on out.
He loved laying under the granite kitchen table as refreshments flowed above. He was around for his fair share of Busch Light, wine and of course the famous Pisano.
When Lynda would visit he would go crazy in anticipation of a receiving a treat from the closet in the dining room. He knew where they were and was always in a hurry to get there.
He loved to hunt and go get the birds. Dave or Pete would get their guns and equipment from the basement and he would immediately perk up. You had to be careful of saying the "H" word when he was around otherwise a sad face of disappointment would appear. That goes hand in hand with the "W" word...walk.
He was the stair keeper of the legendary Pokey's kitchen. He would watch as you went down the stairs and waited for you to come back up because he knew that he was not allowed down that staircase. His only dislike of the activities of the candy kitchen was that awful smelly red candy. He would retire into the bathroom to escape the smell.
A true family dog he played oh so gently with his brother Peter and sister Anna. He reluctantly poised in many a family picture. He loved to sit by Gina who would unexpectedly drop some scrap of food from the table. She would always look confused on how that happen. Jimmy had "MOM" wrapped around his tail.
He was so gentle around kids as well. He loved to play with Alec and Shay Sinnard even at the beginning when they couldn't even say his name so they called him names like gog...big dog...Jimmy the big dog to name just a few.
He did have an attitude when things were not going the way he thought they should. He would not eat his food if Dave was gone overnight. I coaxed him into eating one time by sitting on the floor, taking the food out of his dish, placing on the floor for him to enjoy. This was our little tradition. Quite frequently you would stop over to the house and see a shoe, bra, clothes or the favorite bird of the day that had not been chewed to shreds in the living room. But when things were unbearable for Jimmy he would burst up the stairs and mark his spot on Pete's bed.
He was always there to soothe our pains by just being himself. My eyes water when I think about the memories of our friend Jimmy.