Long story but funny too. Not all sad.

Slick was my chocolate lab that I got when he was 4 months old and he made it to 14 1/2. I got him to keep my old lab (Speedo) going when he started slowing down.
It worked and Speedo made it to 14.
Their favorite place to play was the beach on Pelee Island in Lake Erie. They chased birds and sticks and rolled on dead fish. What more could a dog want?
When I put Speedo down, I had him cremated and took his remains to that beach.
Best I can tell, it was about 12 yrs later that I took his step brother Slicks ashes to the same place.
When I did the trip 12 yrs prior, it was in my old Sonic and turned to the trip from hell. Everything that could go wrong, did go wrong.
So it seems only fitting that this trip did too. I took Slicks remains w/me last spring to visit family in Ohio and would go to the lake from there.
Plan was: load borrowed bikes to back of rental car, car to island via ferry and from ferry dock to water front cottage I had rented.
That plan went to hell when I found out it was still preseason for Pelee and the ferry from the U.S. side (Pelee is in Canadian water) wasn't running yet!
So plan B became: fly over and figure the rest out when we get there! (can't take rental car in plane and no car rentals to get from airport to cottage etc)
So we drive to Griffing Flying Service in Sandusky to jump on the first puddle jumper over. Wrong!
We climb in the tiny ass 6 seat plane and head over.



We flew in/out of fog the whole way over and when we got all the way to the island, the pilot couldn't find the runway!

Pelee is the big island in the middle and we left from the bottom of the chart.



So we fly back to Sandusky to wait for it to clear. It proceeds to pour down rain and fog in for the next 5 hrs!
Finally, they decide to try again on the last flight of the day. It was touch and go but as we made it through the last fog bank we were right over the landing strip!
It gets funny from here.
This is flying over Cedar Point Amusement Park.

Here's Kellys Island.

The air strip.


Pelee Island International Airport

The cottage I rented is owned by a guy named Zane Hooper. He is 88 yrs old, was born on Pelee and never left the island! He knew the ordeal we went through to get there so he picked us up at the airport. When we got in Zanes pick up truck he informs us that he's 1/2 deaf and his hearing aids are in Ontario being repaired! I'm also 1/2 deaf and forgot my hearing aids.
So the Mrs. sits between us. Zane says something, she yells it to me. I reply and Cheryl yells it back to Zane
Was quite the ride to the cottage
When we get there, Zane throws us the keys to the truck and says its ours to use while we're on the island! Amazing gesture.


So we drop our bags and do a tour of the 9 mile long island and end at my favorite bar on the island (there are 2 after all!) , the Scudder Beach Bar.
Of course being preseason..... it wasn't open yet!


So we go from there to my 2nd favorite place on the island, The Anchor and Wheel Inn. Was getting late and being a weekday on top of early season I wasn't sure it would be open either.
Our luck changed as we pull in to see my buddy Mark that owns the place out on the deck drinking w/friends.
Finally......, let the games begin.
Mark makes the best Walleye (they call it Pickerel) I've ever had and told him that was on the top of our list.
Mark proceeds to tell me I'm SOL as they're all getting on his boat and going to Put In Bay to drink for 3 days!!! You can't make this stuff up.

Back at the cottage, this was our view. You're looking straight at Ontario main land. You could see it's lights at night. Thats also the main shipping channel from Detroit and there was steady freighter traffic that was fun to watch w/the telescope in the cottage.



This is the ONE place open on the island. Bar slash restaurant. It's a great place but you can only eat breaded and fried so many times...
It is a way cool place though. Back in the day, we'd anchor off the beach, dinghy the bikes to shore and come here to get tore up.





This is Scudder Harbor. It's way cool because the docks are wood and they let you carve your boats name in the planks. Tons of history there.


This is whats left of Dicks Marina which was the only other harbor on the island. Was convenient to us Yankees as it's on the south end by the beach.
Rumor on the island was that an investor was taking it over to do the condo thing but we've since read that he couldn't get the electricity there that he needed.


Light house at the NE corner of the island.


For any island history buff's.


Always wanted a place on the island and finally found one I could afford.



So here's the reason for the trip. Slick ashes will go to the end of Fish Point. Awesome place to anchor and where we always went. You can back up within feet of the beach and it's always calm on one side or the other. Almost 2 miles long.
This is looking out from the island.



From the point looking towards the island.



Slicks remains are in my backpack.



Only description needed here is that Cheryl had the idea of leaving him a stick to chase and a dead fish to roll on in his next life.
He was my boy, I had him when I had nothing and I miss him every day.





BTW, I filled up Zanes truck in exchange for its use. The Co-Op is the only place to buy gas. Being it was Canadian the pump read liters so I had to do the math to see how much "island" gas was and how bad I just got hurt. Luckily it still had a 1/4 tank in it but.........., was still $158!!

Dogs will definatly touch your heart. You can Never Replace one dog with another since they have their own personalitys. Great Story, and Great job doing him justice with the trip to the beach..

AWESOME story and sorry for your loss. Im sure he is where he wants to be

what a fitting place for Slick to rest, great story (as yours always seem to be)


I have always wanted to make the run to Pelee, maybe this summer . . . .

The crazy things we do for our bestest friends. Glad to read yours.

Thanks for the kind words guys.
Just now to the place of looking for a new puppy for Christmas.

Here's Slick dog w/the wifes mutt.

Just rest assured that you will see him again on the Raibow Bridge, and he will do all the swimming and fish rolling he used to.

I here ya...don't grieve...celebrate...that's what he would want.

Sorry for your loss.
Recently had this discussion with the wife. We have a 10 year old Boxer on the down hill side of life. It's going to be tough. The kids always tell us we treat Bella better than them. Of course!! She does what's she's told and loves us no matter what.

What I do for my boys.
This was the same trip 10 yrs earlier. I have a picture of Slick watching me spread Speedos ashes on the same beach, same place he is now.
How eerie is that?
glenncal1, I read that many times after putting Slick down.

That trip, 50* air temp, hit zero visibility fog half way there, and blew a powerhead. The GF knew we were going no matter what.
Told her, "well, we'll start the season w/a weekend partying w/the locals". Did not know the Jiimaan, main ferry from Ontario mainland was down which cut off all supplies to the island.
We were the only ones there!
Picture bellow is same harbor from above.