Obituary for a paddling pal – Howard DuBose

Some long time CCC members will surely remember Jamie the Wonderdog, the world’s best bow partner. Jamie died last Monday, at the ripe old dog age of almost 15 (people age of about 105!). Jamie was born 15 July, 1990. Jamie first paddled at age of 8 months, snuggled safely in the top of my lifejacket. Later on, he had the whole airbag in the front of my canoe all to himself. Jamie never did get the paddle strokes down pat, but he had good balance, a real good lean, and he would wrap his toenails around my airbag lashings to hang on for dear life! He was not a complainer, either. He never got mad when I missed an eddy, or hit a wave and got his all wet. If I turned us over, he just swam on out, climbed back in and headed on down stream! He just wore his little doggie life vest, slept thru the flat water, and stood up looking at the surfing holes. On cold nites at the campground, he would always snuggle up between Susan and me, helping us stay warm.