Heidi Zboralski
+ 25.12.1997
Heidi was a most
singular teacher for me and I mean that literally.
I liked her very much and I still miss her. I am convinced that everybod who knew Heidi
Zboralski will understand my feelings.
In 1993 we had taken it into our heads to buy a male Newfoundland as a future stud dog. I knewthat there were tow Newfoundland kennels in our neighbourhood. We had a look at both and chose the "Mackenmühle". Well, yes, but Heidi did not choose us - a fact which we became aware of only later. Yet Heidi never made us feel that she did not think us suitable - she only told me that later. By saying "No litter at present" or "Sorry, all puppies boked in advance", she never offended us. But in the course of time we became so curious about her and her dogs that we never thought of buying a dog elsewhere.
We often talked on the
phone, or I popped in at her house. It was in those days that I became very interested in
everything that had to do with Heidi and her dogs. How often did I sit in her kitchen and
listen when she was talking to people on the phone. I knew very little then about dogs,
today I remember those conversations with gratitude because I have lerned a lot from
them... Sometimes in these days I cannot help smiling to myself when I happen to meet
those people Heidi had talket to about "dog problems".
In our endless conversations I learned a lot about our wonderful Newfoundlands. "I am
going to see Heidi at Weißenohe and I won't be long", I often told Ingo. After siome
time he used to answer: "Oh dear, you won't be back for quite a time." In spite
of all good intentions to make only a short visit or a short call I never succeeded in
doing just that. Heidi's way of telling and explaining things was unresistable for me. I
am very, very happy about that today!
As a consequence of those long conversatons we eventually found out how wrong we had been
with our idea of a stud dog. I occurred to us that to have a female, and of course one
born in Heidi's kennel, was the idea. It was Heidi who had caused that change in ourminds,
and she had not done it by lecturing us or trying to dissuade us, no, she accieved her aim
in her very special and gentle way. She did not force her knowledge on us, she just got us
to think about everything more carefully. I believe that only those who knew her can
understand me.
But we did not get our
bitch yet, it should take some more time. There were still a number of aspects to be
considered, like: Is it rally a good moment to confront our Kira and Anouc with a new
bitch? We saw quite a number of litters at Heidi's kennel in those days. First she told us
"You are on my watig list", then "Do you still want a dog?" But we
waited. Watching all those puppies grow up in Heidi's care we learned a lot. It was then
that I saw Kaprice, as a puppy, for the first time an was fascinated by her. We were then
still thinking that we wanted a puppy from Bummi or GoGo-Girl, but the more often I saw
Kaprice, the more thoroughly I lost my heart to that little girl.
Ingo concidered Christmas 1994 to be the right time to give me Ronja (still unborn) for a
present. I know now that it was really a good time to have her. The day ater Christmas I
rang Heidi and "ordered" a little girl out of Kaprice's next litter. Heidi
laughed: It's about time now, and told me that she expected Kaprice to be on heat in
February. February became March 1995 but then Kaprice was breed to Gammel-Dansk at last.
We had to live through another time of waiting until Heidi said the magic word. Kaprice is
in pup. Those words are still ringing in my ears. How often did I visit Heidi and Kaprice
then, hear a lot of interesting things, learn a lot. Sometimes we just chatted... When one
night Kaprice had her puppies, Heidi did not hisitate to ring me in the morning. I was
allowed to come and admire the puppies on the same evening. I spent a lot of time with
Heidi and Kaprice, I went there every second or third dy. Then one day we were allowed to
pick out our little girl.
It was then that our "lessons" really started. Heidi taught us all the
"tricks of the trade" but our lessons never realy ended. She did not flinch from
telling us our mistakes or what she didn't like, and at the same time she was giving us
useful advice or ideas. We became rather close friends. I literally drank in her words and
learned such a lot from her, though I must admit it has still not been enough.
We shared a lot of experiences then, good or bad, and laughed or wept together. Heidi
began to feel rather unwell at that time and her asthma made her soffer more and more. We,
and a lot of her friends, too, started to worry about her. And then in December 1996 Heidi
was diagnosed with cancer of the lungs. She did not give in and fought on - but in the ond
she lost the battle. She had exectly one year to live from then on and she continued to
get worse. In spite of being hospitalised many times she managed to be present a quite a
number of "Newf" events. She wanted to take part and she enjoyed every day that
she was feeling a little bit better than usual. On Christmas Day 1997, one year after the
fatal diagnosis, she died. I feel a bit consoled by thinking that it was best for her as
she was spared more suffering - but for me her death came much too soon.
In spite of her being seriously ill, she was giving us advice from her hospital bed when we had our A-Litter.She did not listen to us when we asked her not to over-exert herself but only told us. "If only I were able to be with you and Ronja's litter, I would be so happy." But what she would have wished most: dearly was to be with her own, her first W/S litter - the last one of the "Mackenmühle" kennel, which she was not able to rear because of her illness. Unfortunaltely she never saw those last "Mackenmühle" puppies, except on photos, a fact that caused her great distress.
Heidi in Herberstein/A - September 1997
She is still my "guiding spirit", and still today, when we come together at dog
shows etc. we talk about her remembering her very special personality.
Heidi we miss you...
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