On My Mind: Brothers separated at birth, connect two Yountville families
Former Yountville residents Barb and Paul Larson paid a visit here recently, and the way we came to know each other was on my mind.
I had a frisky and pretty cute border terrier back then. My pup, Credence, was mentioned in the Sun from time to time because he was just that: frisky and pretty cute. After including his age in one such mention, I got a call from a woman who had just moved into town.
She revealed she also had a border terrier of the same age. We chatted each other up, comparing notes on our canines.
“Who was the breeder?” Barb eventually asked. I told her, and to our surprise it was the same man. The final question was the date of birth, and the answer to that revealed that our dogs were brothers!
We’ve all heard or read touching stories of lost relatives being found, but who discovers a dog’s brother who has just moved into town from another state? That only happens in a friendly, small town like Yountville.
Well, of course, we had to arrange a reunion of brothers Credence and Stanley. It was held at Yountville Park. Frankly, we were prepared for Credence to show his irritable side, something he could be counted on to exhibit around other dogs. Oscar, my late husband, and I were nervous and curious because we knew about this tendency. Oscar had a firm grip on Credence as the meeting began.
The dogs exchanged their customary sniffs and then settled right down. There was no barking or bullying. I was mystified that Credence did not make a scene.
I looked up at Oscar, and he replied, “I think he smells his own blood.”
Thank you, Carol Fink, lifelong dog fancier, for suggesting the breeder from which we got Credence because we also got two personable and funny friends in Barb and Paul.
Barb groomed Credence from then on, and after Oscar died, Paul helped fix things around my house that needed fixing.
Brothers Stanley and Credence are now gone. Barb and Paul moved on to Arizona, but not before Barb introduced pickleball to Yountville. She arranged for the town to sponsor a demonstration of the sport on the plaza in front of the library and community center. The rest is history.
With local advocates for the sport such as Alan Tenscher, Yountville now has four free pickleball courts at Vineyard Park, plus indoor options to play at the Yountville Community Center.
Barb and Paul Larson, it was great to see you visiting your old stomping grounds. You left your footprints on our town.
