Welcome to the first of our Stories pages. These stories are submitted
by the friends of our site, and are thus sub-linked under the "Friends"
page. We know you will enjoy them, and perhaps even be inspired to
submit your own Story!
Lassie and Bob -- A Personal Story
from Laurie Ackerman, California
My lifelong love for Lassie transcended to another generation - my daughter Carly. She grew up with a beautiful plush Lassie dog given to her by Bob Weatherwax and Lassie VIII as a newborn. It seemed as though Lassie was already her guardian angel. The Lassie plush would always ride in her baby carriage. Most people thought that the dog was alive!
When Carly was old enough to watch Lassie on television and motion pictures, she felt an instant love
for Lassie in her heart. When Carly was in Kindergarten, her teacher (Mrs. Norwood) and I talked about the good old days of television. She too was a Lassie fan and
distinctly remembered the Weatherwax family, so lovingly involved with Lassie. She even remembered
when Bob Weatherwax had taken over the helm for his father Rudd!
This conversation inspired me to call Bob and let him know about Mrs.Norwood. He so graciously sent a personally autographed picture to Mrs.Norwood. She
too is a lifelong fan of Lassie!
I also discovered that most of Carly's class didn't know much about Lassie. This great lack inspired me ask Bob if he would be interested in teaching a new generation of children to learn about the special magic
of Lassie. I proposed a birthday party for Carly as a concept, and Bob immediately said "yes" on one condition. Like all of the other children who worked with Lassie, Carly would be invited to the Lassie Ranch and
win Lassie's approval! Face to face, the love between Lassie VIII and Carly was evident. The deal was sealed on a hand shake and kiss by Lassie! Mel, the Jack Russell terrier gave his wag of approval too!
Mel, Bob, Howard and Carly
Carly and I invited two hundred people to her sixth birthday party - a day filled with much anticipation! It
was truly magical for all of the children and their parents! I surprised both Bob and Lassie VIII and built a special stage with Lassie's name on it, fitting for the royal
dynasty of the Lassie reign! Lassie VIII delighted everyone with charismatic special magic while Bob showed his genius as the consummate professional.
To work with Lassie is an art form, and Bob Weatherwax is an artist who uses his entire body to bring out that special quality with Lassie, that is truly magical both on and off the screen! I see it as sheer poetry and the reason that Lassie has been able to transcend to
all generations of fans. Only the Weatherwax family knows how to convey it to Lassie fans around the world.
This magical day of of Carly's sixth birthday will shine in our hearts forever. All of her special guests still come up to us and remind us how wonderful it was in their childhood memories to have been blessed and
touched by the magic of Lassie and Bob Weatherwax! We're lucky to have our own special collie, Laddie, who gives us that feeling of familiarity of having a Lassie
living in our home.
Our Collie Family
from Mickey Partain, JEM Collies
We live in central North Carolina where I hold dear
the 3 C’s:children, collies and country life! I and my two children, Emily and Jeremiah, live on a small family farm where we raise our collies, care for our three donkeys
and one pony, and share our vegetable garden with
friends.
A few years ago, Emily expressed an interest in showing collies. We all have learned so much by being involved in this wonderful hobby. To enhance our experience, we purchased our first “show” collie, a
tri-color female named Sadie. At the 2006 Collie Club of America National Specialty, Sadie was awarded “Best Puppy”, handled by Sadie’s breeder. The 2007
Collie Club of America National was held here in
North Carolina, which gave us the opportunity to attend our first Collie National. Emily and Champion Sadie participated in the “Specials” class and also in Juniors, where the young handler's ability to present his/her collie is judged. Emily and Sadie placed 4th in the Open Junior Showmanship division. Inspired by his sister’s
experience, Jeremiah is now agility-training his blue
merle male, Johnny. Our collies have truly provided us with a family sport.
The "Jem's Collies" family
The 2007 National gave us so many wonderful memories, including the highlight of meeting “Laddie” in person. His true collie spirit exemplifies the love and loyalty people experience with their collies. The collie is truly our
“Best Friend”. Peace and Goodwill to all!
Display at Carly's party
