“He was not a man of whom it could properly be said that he was ever startled or shocked; but he certainly had a sense within him, that if his wife should sicken and decay, he would be very sorry and that he would find something gone from among his plate and furniture, and other household possessions which was well worth the having, and could not be lost without sincere regret. Though it would be, businesslike, gentlemanly, self-possessed regret, no doubt.”
Charles Dickens, “Dombey and Son”
Firstly let’s get the boring stuff out of the way.
My name was Dylan Stephen. I also had a least twenty nicknames. I particularly liked “Pumpkin” and “Dilby”.
I was and always will be a West Highland Terrier a proud and mighty Scot. Brave, loyal, stubborn and highly loveable. Treat me with love and respect I’ll fight to the end to protect you. I may have been twenty pounds but my disposition and mindset was 275 pounds and muscular.
I was born on August 5, 2008 in Mt. Forest Ontario.
My father was Duncan Laird Kidogo and my mother was Rye Sauder.
The Stephen Family Robert, Fotini, Alexandra and Andrew picked me up on September 4, 2008 and took me to their home in Toronto.
I died by euthanasia in Toronto, Ontario on July 13, 2023 almost reaching my 15th birthday.
The description of my death
I had not been particularly well for three months prior to my death. There were two near death incidents where my breathing was shallow and short and my eyes glazed. But both times I bounced back but things were just not the same. I could not walk as far as I usually did and I was slower. When I was younger I walked from one end of the Toronto Island to the other! I chased the ball at Havergal College up the street until I was exhausted and Master Robert made me rest and gave me water and I wanted to run and run but we walked home and I slept like a log. My past was glorious.
The last week of my life saw a rapid decline. I really do not remember much. It got to the point I was no longer interested in that morning chunk of Montreal bagel or even poached chicken. I lived for meat and treats. I loved cheese too. But I Iost control of my water and you know what. In all my years before I was sick aside from puppy accidents accidental pees and poos were rare. I apologize profusely to The Stephen Family that had to clean up for me. I was in a sickly daze so humiliation escaped me.
The last day of my life I remember very little. No water. No food. I just lay down in the grass. I remember being taken in the car to a place I had been before. The smell was a bit familiar. Voices were muffled. Kisses from The Stephen family. A wee jab or two and then I was with Master Robert’s dogs Suzy and Ginny in a wonderful place like a huge park and we all were off leash. Suzy and Ginny explained to me I was free but where were The Stephen Family? They said they will be coming to join me later. I met The Stephen Family’s relatives some of whom I knew like Mistress Fotini’s Father and Mother. I recall one Christmas in Toronto those lovable humans had a strong punch and were dancing to a group Aqua in the kitchen. How fun and even better when I had turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes and carrots and we all sat in the living room with the fireplace on. I had many happy days in my 15 years perhaps this was the best.
I was told by Master Robert’s father and mother John Earnest (Jack) and Margaret (Marnee) that The Stephen Family had euthanized me which meant some drug had been injected in me to put me to sleep and end my life and that they were most likely in horrible grief. Master Robert’s family had euthanized their dogs, Suzy and Ginny (my new best friends). I was so sick I could not say a final good-bye although the day before my death Master Robert was holding me he asked for a final kiss and with great effort I gave him my last kisses.
I was the senior dog in my neighbourhood and many deceased friends were waiting for me. Cindy, Cody. Hazel, Oggi and other “dogs of the hood”.
My forty days wait
My “administrator” in this “world beyond” said I must remain on earth in spirit for 40 days to do what I can to guide and comfort all those who are grieving my death. Of course I can’t be there physically but apparently I have some power to guide human thoughts. Master Robert was the leader of the pack for me. I followed him from room to room and sat down close to him. On cold winter nights he would let me snuggle under the covers with him. As the wind howled and the snow flew I felt safe like the first day The Stephen Family took me home where I was picked up by Master Robert and placed on his stomach in a zipped up sweater and fell asleep missing my mother but feeling safe and protected. I also spent many an hour with Mistress Fotini up on her third-floor couch where we watched “Coronation Street” and some really interesting movies. Master Andrew often took me to live the strange downtown life when Master Robert and Mistress Fotini went on trips. Those downtown dogs are something else! My 40-day job is going to be difficult. My Stephen Family is hurting badly …so very badly. They miss me at every twist and turn. No walks. No chatting with neighbours walking their dogs. No click clack of my nails on the floor. No barks to be picked up. And only tonight Master Robert was walking back forth on the back lawn looking up in the sky tears streaming down his face and muttering where is my Dylan up there. I miss my Stephen Family so very badly.
What advice can I give to you humans about the death of your dog?
BE THERE FOR ME: You have been with me from the beginning so please be there at the end. I need your love and support. Yes euthanasia is physically painless but stroke my head and hold my paw. Tell me it is fine for me to go.
PLEASE DO NOT FOCUS ON THOSE LAST MINUTES OF MY LIFE: Those last minutes and seconds are not ones that should be remembered. I am and should not be the dog with a cold body and open eyes. You and I deserve more than that.
EMOTION TRUMPS LOGIC: You think you are prepared for my death. Words only my friend.Emotions will roar over you and you may be traumatized witnessing my passing. Yes it was logical and appropriate my final moments be determined by you. It was right wasn’t it? Well a tsunami is coming your way.
PLEASE NO GUILT: I trust your decision to send me to the world beyond. There is always the veterinarian bound by a code of ethics to agree or veto your “final decision”. In my case the vet came into that “special room” saying he had read my file and after looking at me briefly said to The Stephen Family that they had made the right decision.
PHYSICALLY DEPARTED BUT NEVER IN SPIRIT: I have gone. My body is cold but in spirit I will always be with you.
TAKE THE TIME TO GRIEVE: You may be dogged (no pun!) by grief for some time. It may hit you in waves and seem insurmountable. It may never leave you. That’s fine but please it must not overtake you. That’s an order!
DO NOT SEEK MY REPLACEMENT IMMEDIATELY: If you decide to bring a new dog into your life. Wait please. That dog will never be a “replacement” for me. You owe that new dog a clean slate where you will not compare that dog to me. Each dog has a unique personality so foster that by not looking for a carbon copy of me.
IT WILL HELP YOU TO MEMORIALIZE ME: If need be a small memorial get together is in order? Perhaps you should scatter my ashes in my favourite place like The Stephen Family will be doing at my local walking spots and at Niagara-on-the-Lake. They are also arranging to plant a commemorative tree at my favourite off leash park.
As a last word I had a rich life but Master Robert has featured me in some of his novels such as “Virus #26”, “Reggie the Egyptian Rescue Dog” and “Andrij the “Orphaned Ukrainian Dog”. Do you know I was in a film with Nicole Kidman and so infuriated Tsar Vlad over the carnage in Ukraine of both dogs and humans he but a bounty on my head. Do you know I had Thanksgiving dinner with Gordon Lightfoot, Drake and Jill and Joe Biden! If I know Master Robert, he may be planning my autobiography soon!
In parting I understand we are in the world beyond temporarily as reincarnation to a “higher life form”. Pardon me is there no higher life form than a West Highland Terrier. I am a damn proud Scot!
Yes from a Portuguese tourism perspective there is more than Porto, Lisbon and the Algarve. I was playing some catch today and as the baseball was zipping to and fro I looked over to the hockey rink resting for the summer and I saw some graffiti on the wall “Pickleball is the new virus!”. Well as far as Porto and Lisbon are concerned cruise ships are a virus. Vinho Verde is free of the cruise ship virus and is prime wine tourism territory meaning there are many wineries, fabulous cuisine, cultural sites, accommodations and stunning topography. Wine can easily be the star of a visit but there are a range of diverse hotels, restaurants and cities and towns full of culture such as Braga, Guimaraes and Ponte de Lima with its famous bridge and huge public market held on fortnights. In fact this public market began in 1125 and is the oldest market in Portugal. There are numerous museums, churches and the many monuments of the Upper Minho region including a wealth of classified heritage sites. And yes there is a Vinhos Verdes Wine Route.
The white wines of Vinho Verdes almost always suit local seafood so well or that’s the way I prefer them. You must dig around for the different styles of whites. Many are simply too acidic for other than with foods.
Where does the Maria Papoila Loureiro and Alvarinho fit?
Aroma: Pear, apple and some melon. Simplistic and straightforward.
Palate: The acids are under control here but the wine is tight and stingy with its fruit. In short it is wine no doubt but with little character. If I may say so boring. Short finish.
Food match: Seafood please particularly sardines, sea bream, mackerel and sea bass.
Cellarbility: As they say drink young and fresh.
Personality: This writer is cheeky saying in his opinion that I am boring. He’s boring. Meow!
Price: $18.95 (Ontario).
RKS 2023 Wine Rating: 83/100.
(Maria Papoila Loureiro & Alvarinho 2022, Vinho Verde DOC, Lua Cheia, Portugal, 750 mL, 11.5%, Liquor Control Board of Ontario # 408146).
“I love influence, honours, good hotels, a huge stake at cards (I adore cards). But the main, most important thing is women….women in all theirs shapes and forms. I even go for debauchery, that’s covert, secretive, and the more eccentric and depraved the better, even with a whiff of sordidness for extra delectation….HaHaHa! You should see your face! If looks could kill!”
Fyodor Dostoevsky, “Humiliated and Insulted”, 1860.
Côtes du Roussillon is a go to appellation for (mostly) quality wine at an affordable price. The Bastide Miraflors is a blend of Syrah (70%) and Grenache (30%) so I am not expecting daintiness!
Aroma: Grenache often has aromas of very ripe big fat strawberries not those little sweetie red berries you are more likely to expect with Pinot Noir. Replete with blackberry, black currant and cassis with a hint of root beer.
Palate: Deep and rich this is no juvenile wine on training wheels. Think of blueberry pie and blackberry jam.
Personality: I am big and muscular with excellent co-ordination. Acids and tannins are in perfect harmony. No lose ends.
Food Match: Swiss Chard and potatoes Turkish style i.e. tomatoes, cinnamon, paprika, cumin, onions and garlic with a cup of Samos Vin Doux. The recipe is actually Turkish Green Beans but it is better with Swiss Chard and potatoes.
Cellarbility: Drinking well now but will cruise into end of 2024.
Price: $19.95 (Ontario).
RKS 2023 Wine Rating: 91/100. Robertparkercom 90.
(Bastide Miraflors 2020, AOP Côtes du Roussillon, EMB66136BV, Perpignan, France, 14.5%. 750 mL, Liquor Control Board of Ontario # 320499).
“It was a strange story of a mysterious, in many respects barely credible relationship between a demented old man and his little granddaughter, who had fathomed him out thoroughly, mature beyond her years in the comprehension of what to other children, living in more stable and comfortable conditions, would remain a closed book till a much later age. It was a melancholy story, one of those dismal, heart-rendering stories which are so often played out unnoticed, almost shrouded in mystery, under the heavy St. Petersburg sky, in the dark hidden recesses of that huge city, amid the frenetic hustle and bustle of life with its unfeeling egotism, its conflicting interests, its sordid debauchery, clandestine crime, amidst the infernally senseless and abnormal conditions of life…..”
“Humiliated and Insulted”, Fyodor Dostoevsky, 1860.
“He was getting steadily more drunk and maudlin. Masloboyev had always been a fine fellow, level-headed but rather too clever by half; sly, astute, devious and a scallywag from his school days, but deep down quite a softie-a lost soul. There are many amongst the Russians. They’re often endowed with considerable talent, but somehow they always end up barking up the wrong tree, on top of which they are capable of acting deliberately against their own conscience, out of a lack of gumption in certain respects, and not only do they always come to grief, but they know in advance they’re on to a hiding or nothing. Incidentally, drink proved to be Masloboyev’s undoing eventually.”
“Humiliated and Insulted”, Fyodor Dostoevsky, 1861
Mayhem, a top rate Okanagan wine producer, suggests in its technical sheet for its 2022 sparkling white that it pairs well with picnics, golf, boating and best friends.
Being a golfer since the age of six and having worked as a golf Marshall I have some great stories to share. I was hit in the chest by a nasty and highly improbable slice by a money laundering expert.
I should have collapsed with a heart attack but alas I survived to tell you stay behind anyone hitting a ball. As a precaution I visited my physician who proudly announced the impact of the ball on my body had created a third breast! By golly a job awaited me at ‘Nightmare Alley” or a remake of “Rocky Horror Picture Show”. This wine is in a can!
Aromas of pear and fresh baked banana bread with pear and apple galette. Oozing with tiny bubbles kind of getting same vibes in palate as on the nose. Nice gentle acidic bite. It can suit just about anything on a picnic even cold flank steak grilled with chimichurri sauce with an Argentinian red onion salad. Aside from food sit back on a roasting hot day,,,,after 16:00 hours and pop open and enjoy. Look out for golf balls heading towards you. My physician sad I was lucky. A few more inches and my face would have been demolished.
Decent juice. Practical. Utilitarian.
The label states” Product of Canada” without any mention of BC VQA. Is there any grape juice from Newfoundland involved?
(Mayhem 2022 Sparkling White produced and bottled under WL # 302084, Okanagan Falls British Columbia, 250 mL, 12.5%). A 12 pack costs $88.32. Contact the winery for shipping details).
The technical sheet provided to me by Mayhem describing their canned 2022 Sparkling Rosé states, “Floats down the channel, boating, gardening, or a good round of golf.”
It so happens a Father’s Day a few years ago I had returned from a round of golf to prepare a BBQ. What better way to start the celebration off with a Mike Weir sparkling white from Niagara. Yes, that’s the Canadian golfer who won the Masters Golf Tournament in 2003. So I pop the cork and it hits me in the forehead leaving a nice little welt! I ignored the most basic lesson of opening a bottle of sparkling wine namely point it away from you! Several years later a Chinese billionaire was killed by a champagne cork to the head. So I am lucky enough to be here trying this Mayhem sparkler.
It is 100% Merlot and it is in a can so it poses no immediate danger of a cork causing a deadly incident!
On the nose loads of raspberry, cranberry, strawberry and a twist of cinnamon. Small bubbles gently greet the palate. Lots of red cherry mixed with a bit of strawberry jam. Short finish. Pleasant and the can presents some utilitarian and StarTrekean possibilities i.e. go where no wine bottle can go. Consider a can of 250 mL a generous pour. Nice and crisp so good for that hot patio weather and is so versatile and lacking in any striking stylistic fashion it could suit just about any food dished out in a hot July and August day.
The can indicates “Product of Canada” and does not have a B.C. VQA designation on it.
(Mayhem 2022 Sparkling Rosé, produced and bottled under WL # 302084, Okanagan Falls, British Columbia, 250 mL can, 12.5%, 12 pack $88.32)
Yes I struggle mightily with Ontario Riesling. It can make some absolutely remarkable sparkling wine but as a still table wine it is frequently overly dry and unpleasant to drink reminding me of early season grapefruit.
I haven’t had a boatload of British Columbia Rieslings for two reasons. Here in Ontario we have a terrible case of tokenism for British Columbia wines. The Liquor Control Board of Ontario kneels at the feet of California wine worshipping it shamelessly in its retail offerings. Yet British Columbia due north of darling Napa and Sonoma is simply ignored. No there is no affirmative action for British Columbia wines here in Ontario. I have a sneaking suspicion Ontario wines are also subject to British Columbia tokenism. I also have yet to be invited on a press trip to try the wines and foods of British Columbia. The EU in that regard is far more generous and astute. Canada should appoint a most special “rapporteur” to investigate!
The fruit was whole bunch pressed. Mayhem and its sister winery Meyer Family Vineyards are not adverse to ageing whites in neutral oak and this Riesling was aged in 27% neutral barrique and 73% stainless steel.
So bearing the scars of too many failed tastings of Ontario Rieslings and encouraged by the Mayhem technical sheet about their 2022 Riesling stating it has 17.55 grams of residual sugar per litre I am expecting a more Germanic than Ontario experience?
Aroma: Impressive notes of apricot, peach, tangerine, orange marmalade and thank goodness secondary notes of lime and lemon. This is no Ontario Riesling refugee!
Palate: Off dry but not on the high end.! Acidity most pleasant instead of raging. There is some sweet white grapefruit. Finishes off nicely with honey, butter and guava.
Personality: I am from the Okanagan but have more affinity with the Germans than with the Ford Nation.
Food Match: The winery suggests lemon chicken skewers with a Moroccan harissa seasoning sauce or Thai carrot and ginger soup topped with fresh herbs. I would also suggest a mushroom, fresh pea and zucchini risotto.
Cellarbility: Drink by the end of 2027.
Price: $20.97 (British Columbia). Check with the winery about retail availability and shipping.
RKS 2023 Wine Rating: 90/100. Bcwinetrends.com 91.
(Mayhem 2022 Naramata Bench Okanagan Valley Riesling, B.C. VQA, produced and bottled under WL # 302084, Okanagan Falls, British Columbia, 750 mL, 11.9%).
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