VIRG FOSS: Lena will be a fine addition at the lake cabin

A year and five days ago, I had already been to Bemidji with my cocker spaniel Ole to open the lake cabin for the season.

The lake season got an early start a year ago with great March weather hastening the process.

The hockey season a year and five days ago ended earlier than one would have liked when the Fighting Sioux -- yes, we were still officially the Sioux then -- lost in the NCAA regional final in St. Paul.

So as Sioux-less North Dakota entered NCAA regional play Friday in Grand Rapids, Mich., there was no way I could get through snowdrifts blocking my driveway and open my cabin.

When I can, I'll be missing Ole, who passed away in September.

But as sure as North Dakota will win another NCAA championship soon, the monster snow drifts blocking the cabin road will melt and another wonder dog soon will celebrate lake season with me.

I joined several national pet searches a bit after Ole's passing, and have sorted through various notifications about spaniels available for adoption.

Most were located in far-flung states. So I looked at and drooled over the pets available, but none were close enough to really catch my attention.

All that changed last week when I received an email from pet search service Petfinder.com about a cocker spaniel mix dog available right here in Grand Forks, shockingly enough.

A stray spaniel had been picked up and was at the Humane Society in Grand Forks, I learned.

Within a day, I was the proud owner of a female spaniel mix, estimated to be 3 to 5 years old, and a beautiful dog with a loving personality.

In memory of Ole, I named this dog Lena, in keeping with my Scandinavian heritage.

A dear friend of mine will share ownership responsibilities for Lena. This will allow Lena to spend time at both residences and of course at the lake cabin much of the summer as well.

It's a new venture for me, joint ownership of a pet. I am convinced the concept will work well for both of us, allowing each of us to travel a bit without having to make arrangements for care of the dog.

Friends had told me that the right dog would find me when the time was right.

That's exactly what happened, when the email from Petfinder.com dropped into my lap and produced a dog of my dreams.

I've had pets much of my life. I grew up with a tomcat named Greyhound that would eat all the tinsel off the Christmas tree and was so big that he could chase any dog out of the yard.

I had a great cocker spaniel named Liberty beginning in 1976 for 10 years. Then Ole came along four years ago as an adult to give me three years of pure joy and entertainment before his life was cut short.

Now along comes Lena, black-and-white like Ole. She is yet another "Holstein hound" in the Foss family, as my son calls the growing collection of black-and-white dogs in the extended family.

Soon, the mounds of snow will melt into the sandy soil on the shores of Lake Beltrami and it'll be cabin time again.

Under the warm afternoon sun, Lena and I will play ball together in the backyard at the cabin, just like Ole and I did and long ago; Liberty did as well.

I also believe this.

If a dog as wonderful as Lena can drop into my life totally unexpected out of nowhere, there's no reason whatsoever UND can't win that elusive eighth NCAA hockey championship in the very near future.

Virg Foss reported on sports for the Grand Forks Herald for 36 years until his retirement. He writes a weekly column exclusively for the Herald from October through April. Contact him at virgfoss@yahoo.com or (701) 772-9272.