{"id":979,"date":"2010-08-07T08:52:51","date_gmt":"2010-08-07T15:52:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/northerncaliforniahikingtrails.com\/blog\/?p=979"},"modified":"2019-11-08T10:10:48","modified_gmt":"2019-11-08T17:10:48","slug":"in-remembrance-of-my-golden-retriever-molly-1996-2010","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/northerncaliforniahikingtrails.com\/blog\/2010\/08\/07\/in-remembrance-of-my-golden-retriever-molly-1996-2010\/","title":{"rendered":"In Remembrance of My Golden Retriever Molly, 1996-2010"},"content":{"rendered":"

My sweet golden retriever Molly passed away recently at the age of 14 after a brief decline. I really miss her.<\/p>\n

\"Molly's<\/a>
Molly’s sweet smile.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Molly was born on the north shore of Kauai in 1996 and spent her first two years there. I taught her to swim in the Kilauea River, and she quickly graduated to fetching sticks in the waves of the Pacific Ocean, one of her favorite things to do.<\/p>\n

\"Molly<\/a>
Molly loved to chew on sticks at the beach.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Molly was very attached to my other golden retriever Hana, who was a few months older. They were constant companions and would explore the world together and spend hours wrestling and play fighting. After Hana died in 2004, Molly never wrestled with another dog.<\/p>\n

\"Hana<\/a>
Hana and Molly at Point St. George in Crescent City.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Hana<\/a>
Hana and Molly at Klamath Beach near the mouth of the Klamath River.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Molly loved the water and would take herself swimming in any stream or lake, or the ocean. Once on Kauai I camped at Polihale beach on the west side with the two dogs. I left them on the beach and went swimming in five-foot waves. Brave Molly followed me out and was swimming just beyond the surf zone. Suddenly a larger wave appeared and broke on top of us. I dove down to avoid it, but Molly was right on top of me, so I pushed her away. I popped up and looked for her, but couldn’t see her anywhere. Then I saw the wave reaching the shore, and there was Molly trotting up the beach. She had surfed the full length of the wave, aided by my push.<\/p>\n

Molly especially loved being outside and was a great hiking companion for my many outdoor explorations in northern California and the western United States. She was always game for even the most difficult cross-country explorations.<\/p>\n

\"Molly<\/a>
Molly ready for anything.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What I Loved Most About Molly<\/h2>\n