Sunny Golden Spirit A Peaceful Warrior
by Robyn Balaski
The inspiration for Ymir Mutts was my dog Sunny. I like to say we got him second hand. Only years after he died did I find out where he started his life. It was love at first sight for me. Sunny maybe not. The home he was fostered in was a palace with white carpets and a manicured lawn. I parked up on the road when we went to meet him. My Westfalia was sure to leak oil on the pristine driveway. Sunny came to greet us at the door with a beautiful woman and her sweet Australian Shepard. Both dogs had one blue eye, but Sunny was larger and he had a orange marel coat. He sat across from us attentive but a little timid. Skye, Jonah and I knew right away that he was the one for us. But it being Saturday we would have to wait to fill out the adoption papers until Monday when the SPCA opened.
That Monday we picked up dog food, new food dishes, a collar, a leash, a rope ,a frisbee and a bone. Then we drove to the SPCA and payed for Sunny’s adoption and filled out the papers. I put Sunny’s collar on and attached his leash. Then Sunny, Skye, Jonah and I walked out the door hopped in the van and drove home to our fenceless yard in Ymir.
My theory being. He will want to be with us and will have plenty of space. Only 30 mins after coming home we were playing with our new dog in the yard. Skye threw him the rope “WAP” it hit Sunny on the snout. Sunny jumped and ran out of the yard. He didn’t leave, we could still see him but he just wouldn’t come. Poor guy was scared of us. I can’t quite remember how he came back in the yard but after that we focused on giving him lots of love and affection which he seemed to accept in doses. Sunny was friendly but liked his space and he was always paying attention.
Other things that triggered him to run out of the yard were loud noises like gun shots, balloons popping, loud voices or sudden movements. Once while Sunny was asleep on the living room floor my 6 year old daughter bent down and gave him a hug and Sunny shot up what we remember to be 3 feet straight into the air. He was terrified. Man….besides the dogs reaction, now Skye thinks he’s afraid of her because she’s also the one who threw the rope and hit him accidentally. In years to come Sunny would be seen as Skye’s constant companion. The common phrase would be “take Sunny with you”. With this expectation of a dog and the type of dog, Sunny had a purpose. He would always situate himself on a vantage point to keep an eye on Jonah who is 3 years Skye’s junior, Skye and I. As time went on Sunny had quite a flock under his gaze. And over time Sunny came to trust us and wouldn’t flinch or run off quite as often. But he did have his quirks like chasing my van down the road. I would have to tie him up before I’d leave but he was too smart for that and would try and keep out of reach. So I’d one up him. I’d invite him into the van then I’d tie him up. Disappointed as he was he began to learn. But the real change came when the kids and I went to Whistler for Christmas and Sunny stayed with Fons, when Fons was living at the church. Two weeks later we came home and Sunny would come when he was called and would come to be tied up and when out for a walk he would come, sit and let me put on his leash. I was amazed and grateful to Fons. After that the church was also his territory and his to protect. A couple years later Fons and I bought a house together and when we moved Sunny’s territory grew again. He never forgot his first Ymir home and the neighbourhood. And although Ymir is only 5 Blocks by 5 Blocks we had lived on 3 of them. And there was the 3 years we’d move up the Wild Horse to housesit for the Hendersons while they were away. That too became his stomping grounds. I would often get a phone call, Sunny’s here. Brian just took the dogs up the water line, we can drive him down later. Or a call saying Sunny just showed up here again from a friend out on Wesco. Sometimes I expected it because there had been thunder or fireworks that would spook him but other times he was just out for a walk. I’d be stopped by folks while out for a walk with Sunny and the kids and be told, “oh I saw Sunny on the trail down from the waterfall, or I saw Sunny walking up the wild horse. There has been a number of people who Sunny accompanied on their daily walks down the tracks. Some schedules he knew so well he’d pick them up at their houses. I wouldn’t have known this if I hadn’t been told, because Sunny was always there to walk the kids to the school bus and home when they got home from school. Always there when I got home from work always there for a walk. The odd time Sunny and I would cross paths in our day and although it was a pleasant surprise we would each continue on our paths and meet up at our regular times. In this way Sunny was a guardian of Ymir. And it’s people within.
Sunny died on February 2015, As always, patrolling the street in front of the house. Keeping the wild life corridors clear. On this particular night there happened to be a cougar in the area, and talk had spread to watch your kids and your animals . We don’t see many cougars so when a handful of people do see them it is cause to worry. That night I was working at the store and I told my son Jonah to be back at the store before dark. But as usual he was late and time passed chatting as the local customers came and went. Once the store cleared out Jonah ran into the store and asked, “Did you hear that lady screaming?” “What? No” I said. Just then the phone rang. Isabelle was calling and she sounded all shook up. “Your dog just saved my life” she says. “There was a cougar on your street I thought it was going to attack me and Sunny scared it off”. “Holy Shit! I’m glad you are ok” I say as my mind is reeling…where’s Sunny…call Fons, he has to pick up Jonah… Oh! and Skye has to walk by there any minute now, she was babysitting. “Thanks for calling Isabelle, talk to you tomorrow” I say. Then I start dialing home. Fons answers, “Can you go pick up Skye from babysitting right now, Isabelle said a cougar almost attacked her on our street and Skye should be on her way home. Fons started out the door. As I hang up Skye walks through the door. I call Fons back on his cell, “Skye and Jonah are at the store, can you come pick them up here and walk them home?” “Yup, on my way. Fons arrives and they head out together. I have another hour of work left. And it is surprisingly quiet so I start with my closing duties. The phone rings, it’s Fons. I can’t understand him, he’s crying. “Sunny’s dead”. “WHAT? WHAT?” I say “Sunny’s dead, the cougar got him.” “Where are the kids?” I ask. “In the house. Sunny came out when I was getting firewood and started up the hill, the cougar jumped on him. I shot the cougar, wait I see another set of eyes, I have to go…Can you come home and tell the kids?” “Ok as soon as I can. Are you ok? Where’s the other cougar?” He hangs up. As I hang up the phone Theron walks into the store and I tell him what Fons just told me. And that there is another set of eyes in the woods. Theron starts for the door. I will go and help Fons he says. As I get home Fons and Theron are outside the shop, Fons is crying and beside himself with grief, and shock. We go into the shop Sunny is wrapped in a blanket and the cougar hanging beside him. I asked about the kids and he says he can’t face them right now. So I go into the house Skye and Jonah are in their rooms. I call them downstairs and tell them that Sunny died and that the cougar killed him. In that instant they both run away to their rooms crying. I sit there in shock not knowing what to do. After a few moments I walk upstairs and say we should go say good bye to Sunny while he is still warm. So together we head out to the shop to say good bye to our best friend.
The days following were sad and confusing. I had to open the store in the morning. Word spread quickly that Sunny had been attacked by a cougar and died. That day everyone who heard the news came to the store to share their stories and their condolences. I don’t think I had processed my loss yet and it wasn’t until I had finished my shift and layed down in bed, did I start to cry.
It was February and the ground had been frozen for months and we had to bury Sunny. Fons and Jonah went and collected rocks in case we couldn’t dig deep. On the 3rd day I got up early and built a bonfire where the kids thought he should be buried. It burned most of the day and at about 2 in the afternoon Theron stopped by and he and Fons and I began digging Sunny’s grave. Then Skye, Jonah and Noah came outside to help. Once the hole was deep enough we lay Sunny down. We each said a few words for him and took turns covering him up. But as many hands makes light work we decided to carry the rocks over and build a ————- over his grave. We lit a candle, then Theron and Noah went home and we went into the house. Hours later on my way to bed I looked out the upstairs window and the candle was still burning as a fresh layer of snow covered his grave. That candle burned through the night.
The memory of Sunny lives on and I feel blessed to have known him.
Sunny Golden Spirit a peaceful warrior.