2013 - MOLLY'S ADVENTURES

I’ve always had a dog. As a baby, we had some sort of Terrier, but I only know this because of pictures - I don’t remember her or her name. As I got older,  

maybe 10 years old, our neighbor’s dog had a litter of mixed breed - Boxer/Collie pups. I had to have

Mom, Dad, Me & Lady

one. My parents said no because they thought I wouldn’t take care of her…I ran upstairs crying. Soon after that, we got one of the pups - named her Lady & a lady she was. My dad said, “you’ll have to take care of her - I’m not going to do anything for her” She was loving, smart & very much in love with my dad & he with her. They did everything together. He took her for long walks, got on the floor & they played & played & daddy would lay on the floor, fall asleep & Lady would be snuggled against him. I sure wish I had more pictures of her. When I got married & moved out daddy wouldn’t let me take Lady with me so we got a salt & pepper miniature Schnauzer named Mandy. We bred her & had the most gorgeous pups. Then, a very friendly poodle fell in love with her & we had a litter of Schnoodles. I wanted to keep all of them! There were other dogs after her - a Golden Retriever named Barnaby (Jones); a fabulous German Shepherd named Chad; I can’t remember what breed he was but his name was Quincy (after Quincy ME)& two male mini-doxies 1 named Siggy (Sigmund Freud), 1 named Cha Chi (Happy Days) We also had a variety of parrots & sweet little Daisy May, a black spider monkey.

My Dad with Cha Chi

Chad loved to swim & destroy Coconuts

But I digress…this is about Molly who came into my life in May, 1998 when I was going through some tough & emotional times. I found her in a pet store in Key West - way up high in a kennel with another dog - I could barely see her.

She was 8 weeks old & about 2 lbs, her head & paws way bigger than her tiny body.

 

I had to have her. Some how I scraped enough money together to get her. It was the best decision I ever made. She was born March 15, 1998.  At first, she lived in our house on Ramrod Key but soon we moved to the cottage on Summerland. It was tough for her as I had to work every day. I took her to work with me a few times where she was quite comfortable in her bed in my office. The staff loved her. But alas, she had to stay home, alone.
In September, 1998 she & I experienced our first Hurricane, Georges, which caused significant damage on Summerland, Ramrod, Big Pine & Cudjoe Key. She was a trooper & handled it better than I did.  

Looking for us thru the Hawes pipe - 2000

Then I met Wayne in April, 1999. I was reluctant to let him know I had a pup as he was a wanderer & a pirate - no time for pets. Then he met her…it was love at first sight! Molly became a “Chick magnet” for Wayne & he wondered why he hadn’t had a dog all along in his single life. Molly quickly became a boat dog. 

Molly on guard -2000

Her short legs & long body were perfect for dealing with the motion of the boat.

Stylin' - an outfit made of socks made by the vet's staff

She could climb the steep steps & even sit up begging for a treat in rough seas.

My mom & Molly - 2001

In 2000, I moved all my ‘stuff’ onto BLUE MAX. Even though I was still working, we took the boat out a lot staying onboard mostly in Key West. But in 2001, I was able to take a 3 month leave of absence & we cruised to the Bahamas. Her first big trip & mine too. (we went thru a lot of 'firsts' together )


Bimini kids - 2001

The Bahamians were intrigued with our "sausage" dog, as they called her, because all their dogs look alike - big & tan.

Molly swimming in cystal clear water on Gun Cay - 2001

 

Stocking Island beach - Exumas, Bahamas - 2001

 Molly loved the attention & so did the many people who met her.Everyone wanted to pet her, pick her up & love her.

On board with her pet crab



Molly & the pig on Big Major's Cay - 2001- (I had to hold her back, she wanted to play with it)

Bimini-north shore - 2001

Molly & her Dolphin (not Fipper)



We spent many years cruising with her & enjoying the fact that she was so adaptable & loving & she swam like a fish. I'll let the pictures tell her story.

 

A sweet little girl at Ms Aderly's grocery store-Black Point, Bahamas - 2001

February, 2002, we took mom to the art fest in Key West. She & Molly had a great time especially when mom got an ice cream.

Mom (she was tired of riding) in Key West Feb. 2002
(just 1 month before she passed away)

In March, 2002, I was granted a 6 week LOA & we cruised up the West coast of Florida all the way to Tarpon Springs. 

Lexie & Molly in Tarpon Springs, FL - 2002



Molly styl'n again in Naples - 2002



My Grandson, Anthony in Naples - both are 4 years old - 2002

Later that same year, we took Wayne’s granddaughter, Sonya to the Dry Tortugas &amp. Her parents picked her up in Key West & we headed back up the W. Coast to meet my cousin in South Seas Plantation in Captiva & some fishing.


Sonya & Molly

Sarasota loves their dogs - 2002

 



At Fat Tuesdays - Key West - 2003

 In 2004 we cruised back up the West coast to see family & friends,& of course, to fish. We had 2 years of terribly scary hurricane seasons in 2004 & 2005 including Charlie, Ivan, Dennis, Katrina, Rita & Wilma. There’s no specific prediction of where they’ll go, so being prepared is of the utmost importance. We had to evacuate all the patients to hospitals on the main land & secure BLUE MAX, ON CALL & the cottage. It was a rough 2 years. 





What a life she had- (we were just lucky enough to share it with her) 2003



With 'daddy' - 2003

 
Catching bait on the beach @ Cayo Costa - 2004


At a mexican bar in Boca Grande - 2004

                 

No wonder her breath smells like fish !

South Seas Plantation, Captiva - 2004

Kathryn & Mickey - 2004

Hitchin a ride to Picnic Island - Summerland - 2004
 

In 2006, Molly was 8 yrs. old & becoming a quite a couch potato, couldn’t be stimulated, no ambition…“let’s get a puppy…what’s the worst that can happen?“ We picked up Scupper @ the Lauderdale airport in May.

She was born March 25, 2006. It took awhile for them both to adjust but once they got to know each other, that did the trick -

2006

 

Molly was back to her old self, taught Scupper the ropes including some warning growls to tell her to back off - she learned that quickly. Then-BFF.
 

Molly (on left)  was always so tiny - 2006

 

YIKES !

 

 

 

Molly retained her role as the Alfa dog for the next few years then turned the role over to Scupper. She developed an almost royal demeanor it was pretty
 

The princess


interesting how she changed - like she was always on the ‘throne’. It was a happy time.             

They got to meet the wild pigs on Cayo Costa - now THAT was interesting. Wayne had to carry the terrified Scupper while Molly had no fear, after all, she'd been there-done that.

 

                                Wild pigs - South Cayo Costa

I retired in 2007 - we cruised to the Abacos in the Bahamas - twice. Molly knew the sound of the dinghy & was always out to greet us. She taught Scups how to look for us thru the hawse pipe.

On anchor in Marsh Harbor

Scupper digging to China- Molly clean & neat on the blanket - Double Breasted Cay - 2007

 

Dog Days-what a life - that's Molly on her back - 2007

 

The next few years zoomed by - guess time flies when you’re having fun. We visited Miami, Ft Lauderdale, Marathon, Punta Gorda, Cape Coral, Ft Myers, across Lake Okeechobee & thru the locks, St Augustine, Jacksonville, Cumberland Island, Brunswick, GA, Palmetto/Bradenton, Tortugas, Key West for the annual Doxie Walk on NY eve day, Sarasota, Southern Bahamas including waiting for Hurricane Emily on Eleuthera, sitting out Hurricane Irene on Rose Island & home waiting for Hurricane Isaac.

                                             Molly's rain gear
 

Sombreo Beach, Marathon - 2008

 

Marathon - waiting for mom - 2008

 

 

2006

 

 

Stranded

 

 

                              How can you say NO to that?                                     

Key West annual Doxie walk - 2008

 

Guess they're all beggars - Scupper, Amy & Molly @ Mickey & Kathryn's - Ft Myers - 2008

 

Molly's favorite spot-under the fly bridge steps - 2009

 

At the Lani Kai on Ft Myers Beach - 2009

 

The beach on Cumberland Island (notice, she's clean & on a blanket) - 2009

 

The "kids" in the kid's fountain - Sarasota - 2010

 

 

DeSoto Nat'l Park, Bradenton - 2010

 

Molly in the life ring

 

 River Walk, Ft Lauderdale  1st Sunday festival- Molly gets the free ride - 2011

 

"Please stop fishing &  take me home" - in the dinghy - Bimini - 2011

 

The 'girls' watching Wayne placing anchors out to prepare for Hurricane Irene - Rose Is.- 2011

 

Barking at & staying safe from the big pig on Big Major's Cay-Bahamas - 2011

 

They tore up this 55" Wahoo - 2011

 

 

Yea! I don't have to clean the grill

 

 

 

Best pals - 2011

 

Floating back to BM from the Chat N Chill bar on stocking island - Exumas - 2011

 

Wayne, Tom & the girls on deserted Moriah Harbour Cay-Exumas - 2011

 

At Stump Pass - 2012

 

Always kept the birds away

 

 

 

 

Molly died peacefully on the boat she loved, in her bed covered with her favorite blanket. The three of us got to say goodbye in our own way.

 

 

 

 

Our little Molly 

We were the lucky ones to have benefited from her unconditional love & devotion.She brought the utmost joy into our lives. We loved her & will always miss her.

Molly

March 15, 1998 to February 3, 2013