Meet CJ and Dixie: The Original Family Furry Friends
When Sandra and I first embarked on our journey as a family, our home was graced with two remarkable dogs, CJ and Dixie, who we affectionately called ReeRay and Flicksflee. Their arrival marked a new chapter in our lives, bringing joy, mischief, and unforgettable memories.
Dixie, our Australian Shepherd-Golden Retriever mix (or Aussietreiver as we liked to call her), was a beacon of happiness. We found Dixie through a newspaper ad, a relic of a bygone era. From the moment she bounded into our lives, her infectious energy and love for playing ball made her the heart of our home. Whether she was sprinting around the small backyard or frolicking with our cats—Nita, Tita, Blackey, AL E Cat, and Scratcher—Dixie’s enthusiasm never waned. Her spirit was as golden as her fur, and she had a knack for turning every day into an adventure.
CJ, named after my beloved Jeep CJ7, was a small but spirited German Shepherd with a personality that defied her size. We also found CJ through the newspaper, and despite her diminutive stature—comparable to a medium-to-small poodle—we quickly learned she had a heart as big as any dog we’d ever known. Her growth might have been stunted, but her zest for life was limitless. CJ and Dixie were inseparable companions, and together they brought a special kind of joy to our family.
One particularly memorable night, our backyard turned into a chaotic battlefield. We had let CJ and Dixie out around 11 p.m. for a quick pee break when they encountered our old nemesis: skunks. To their dismay, the skunks fought back with a vengeance, spraying their pungent defense. The dogs, undeterred, continued their valiant—if misguided—attempts to subdue the skunks. The ensuing chaos drew the attention of our neighbor, who, armed with a .38 caliber gun, took matters into his own hands. The skunks were no match for him, and while the aftermath was tragic, it was a story that added to the lore of our backyard adventures.
Despite the skunk incident, CJ and Dixie remained our cherished pets. We painstakingly bathed them with special skunk soap—at least seventeen times—until the smell finally faded. Their resilience and our love for them endured, and they continued to be the playful, loving companions they were meant to be.
As our family grew and we moved to a new home with a larger yard, CJ and Dixie’s presence was a comforting reminder of our early days as a family. They were our first furry friends in a journey that would eventually see many more dogs join the fold.