Marilyn  

CH Carabella's Pin Up Girl
CH Carabella's Noble Rogue   X   CH Carabella's Maple Sugar
10/29/1995 - 06/29/2007

By time the serious talk about a "bitch" started, we had (or I should say Gussie and Jenny) rented the largest cargo van that could be found and loaded it with Standard Schnauzers, 1 Giant Schnauzer, and a Mini Schnauzer picking up another Standard in New Mexico. Mom and John did the only possible thing - we flew dogless. Met up with relatives in San Antonio and watched some of the dog show along with site seeing. Pixie had finished her UD and showing for her UDX. Zippy was being shown as a special as she had just had a litter of puppies in January. Boris was in there for conformation along with a Junior dog for Gussie's daughter and then we had the Giant and the Mini.

We were set up next to Carol Ann Ritchie who had a litter expected in October sometime. Well the talk among Jenny, Gussie and Carol really turned serious and it was decided that we would get a bitch from this litter.

What a trip that was for Marilyn to come into our home. I took the red eye to Washington as soon as the blizzards were over and they could clean the runways for flights. They cancelled my flight in Las Vegas so I took another but it was not direct to Columbus Ohio so I missed my connection in Columbus to Washington. I spent the day waiting for the next flight to Washington and there was so much snow it was not really safe to drive so talked to my mother on the phone most of day. She lived many miles on the other side of town. I was first on the flight to Washington, which was a turn around, so had time to pick up the puppy, check in with the puppy and have all papers checked out. In January she was still small enough to fit in the sherpa and sleep in the cabin with me. Carol was walking in just as I got down to the check in and my first glimpse of Marilyn is with the sun behind her walking out in front of Carol. What a sweet puppy. Things went well with check in and I had asked the gate to be sure and hold the gate for me to get on that return flight. Made it, made the connection in Columbus, made the connection in Las Vegas and back to Tucson by 2 AM. We slept all the way and Marilyn was so quiet. From the time Jen took her out of the sherpa and she hit that warm winter air with no snow, she bounced and at the age of 10 years old still bounces.

Our plans were to finish her Championship and then breed her to Wager. Wager was just 10 months older than Marilyn so things were right on line to OFA and all that, but Marilyn was never able to be bred. She was a wonderful companion and after being specialed for awhile was spayed and became a pet along with Pixie, Boris and Zippy (when she was not being bred).

Marilyn's best accomplishment was for about two years when she lived as a companion to a retired couple from Colorado. She went to live with Jan and Jim in the fall of 2002 I believe. She went with them in a hotel parking lot and never once looked back at John and I. They loved her and Jan took her every place and she was treated as their child. As things sometimes happen, Jan had a sudden heart attack and passed on Christmas Eve but the happiness she brought to those last months with Jan warmed my heart just to hear of it. Jim's health was not that good so Jim and Marilyn went to live in a house close by Jim's brother in Brush CO. When Jim went in the nursing home (for about a year) Marilyn spent nights guarding the house, days waiting at the brother's until time to go spend hours with Jim and the other folks at the nursing home. She just went in like she was Delta Society trained. She visited each room and spent lots of time with Jim. After Jim passed in 2004, she came home to us and is very happy living with Jenny. She's very content sleeping on the couch during the day and at the foot of Jen's bed at night. She does not really like coming to Gramma's but endures it when Jen is at a show.

Marilyn crossed to the rainbow bridge on Friday, June 29, 2007. . . she will be missed!

Baby Marilyn with breeder Carol Ritchie

 
Marilyn as a young show girl                         Best of Opposite

 
Marilyn finishing her CH         1997 taking Best of Breed