i hear a lot of you are asking about me at the shop. I’m sad to say, I will no longer be greeting you as you visit Village Ski. As my young friends might say, I’m in “doggie heaven”. But don’t feel bad, I had a really good life. My journey began in New Paltz, New York. I was the pup of a pure White Shepherd. The only problem was that my dad wasn’t a pure White Shepherd…uh oh!!! My future was uncertain until some baseball players from Marist College came along and couldn’t resist my lovable smile….enter my new master – Keith. He named me after one of his favorite baseball players – Mookie Wilson Brachold.

The first part of my first year was spent in a “baseball” house at Marist with lots of big, lovable guys. They certainly knew how to have fun. They took real good care of me, even raising money for my all-important medications by holding “Shots for Mookie” parties. Before the year was over, I was asked to leave by a mean landlord and spent the spring in New Hampshire at a friend of Keith’s where I could come and go as I pleased and eat all the food I wanted.

By the time I got back to Massachusetts later that spring, I tipped the scales well over 100lbs. Keith and I lived with his Mom and Dad for most of my second year and I got into shape running everyday with the “drill sergeant” (Keith’s Dad). It was hard work but boy did I look good by the time we bought our first house and moved to Franklin. At last, my own house, complete with a doggie door and my own chair in the living room where I sat when I was hanging with the boys. This is where I lived the rest of my life, and a good one it was! Over the next few years, Keith and I hiked Mount Washington, skied Sugarloaf, traveled all around in our Expedition, went on countless walks in the woods and had great parties around the fireplace in the backyard. Some of my happiest times, however, were spent at the ski shop. This was my domain. I knew people looked forward to seeing me in the back of the shop (or the front when I could sneak by the boss). I even liked when the kids would poke and prod me when I was sleeping. Once in a while I would sneak out of the shop and go for some great walks on my own. Once I even found a real tasty grease pit behind a Chinese restaurant. Boy, did I have a feast. It tasted so good going down….but not so good coming back up when I got back to the shop!!!

I‘ll miss those days, all the kids in the shop, and my family and friends. Most of all, though, I’ll miss Keith. I couldn’t have asked for a better master. He taught me how to have fun, put up with my “free-spirit” personality, and through all my medical problems, kept me comfortable and never stopped seeking a cure for my condition.

Yea….I had a good life. Thanks to all of you.
Mookie Wilson Brachold