The Beginnings

Way back in the old days around the turn of the century in the year 2000A.D. there was a tail like no other, it wagged. Boudreaux "Boodie" Robichaux belonged to that tail. He was of French ancestry. coming from a long line of aristocrats in Bordeaux France. He was a fine young man. Eager to please and offer love to all he met. In France he was often seen with his mother Clotile and his father Pierre. They frequently enjoyed Lattes and Beignets at the sidewalk cafes in Paris. Clotile and Pierre believed in exposing their children to the fine arts and culture which was abundant in Paris. Every summer they would bring their sons Guisson, Raymon, Breaux, and their daughter Chloe to Paris to spend their summers. In the Fall they would return to Bordeau. Bordeau was known for the most amazing wines. Boudreaux and his family enjoyed many a bottle with the delicious meals Clotile prepared for them. What a wonderful time they all enjoyed. It is not known, details are sketchy but the Robichaux's came to America and settled in Boodieville, LA, a city known for its many fine French citizens. Some of their relatives had migrated earlier and had settled along the Cane River near Nacitoches close to central Louisiana. While residing in Boodieville, Boudreaux attended the University of Boodieville. A fine university with many brilliant professors. Boudreaux earned his PhD in boodiology which is the study of mankind. After graduation Boudreaux bid adieu to Clotile, Pierre and all his siblings. After throwing kisses and wiping away tears Boudreaux jumped onto the back of a truck loaded with freshly picked watermelon from So. Louisiana. They were headed to market in Texas. It was a long hot ride. Boodie had grown hot and thirsty He could use a good meal too. Finally they arrived in Cleveland, TX. To Boudreaux's good fortune a man named Jean Claude happened along and offered him lodging. in return all Boodie had to do was fetch the paper daily. Now that sounded like a good deal. Jean Claude treated Boudreaux wonderfully. Everyday Boudreaux enjoyed comfortable quarters as well as delicious meals prepared by Jean Claudes personal chef. Boudreaux lived with Jean Claude in peace and harmony for quite some time but one day things took a terrible turn. Jean Claude had fallen ill. He went away to the hospital. and things changed forever. Jean Claude had made arrangements with his grown children to attend to Boudreaux's needs while he was away in the hospital. That didn't turn out well. The children put Boodie in a large cage with big poodles. the quarters were quite crowded. For the first time Boudreaux was forced to fight for food. This was difficult as Boudreaux was a Gentleman. He was a loving, gentle, peaceful being. To solve his problem in a peaceful manner Boudreaux took to quickly grabbing food and running away to a remote corner where he enjoyed what he was able to get. Soon Jean Claude recovered and came home. He told Boudreaux in a loving and kind manner how sorry he was to have left him. As gently as he could he told him he would no longer be able to care for him. Bourdreaux looked sad and a little tear ran down his face. He was strong though, he was a survivor. He knew all would be well. Jean Claude assured him he would find a kind family who would welcome him with open arms. Around that time the O'Brien family in Houston were looking for a French companion to bring into their home. They mentioned their intentions to a friend named Damien. It seems Damien had been spending time relaxing in a Chateau in Clear Lake, TX. On his next trip he inquired and was told of a great Frenchman who needed a good home. Even better he was a Gentleman and a Scholar. Damien hurried home to inform the O'Briens of the wonderful news he'd just received. Of course the O'Brien family was anxious to check out the good news. They rushed over to Cleveland, TX. where they met with Jean Claude. Boudreaux was there romping playfully around the yard. A deal was struck and soon Boudreaux was being carefully loaded into the back of the O'Brien's 4-runner. As they drove along Boudreaux pondered his fate. Would his new home be a joyful place to live? Would he be treated well? How was the food? As they pulled into the driveway Boudreaux thought the house looked alright. It had plenty of room to romp and play. There were many fans to keep a guy cool. Just then he spotted the back yard pool and cringed. Boodie was afraid of water. He had a thick coat and water weighed him down. However being the survivor he was he knew he'd make the adjustment. Everything seemed fine. he felt sad though. He missed Jean Claude already. The O'Briens were of Irish decent. They had aristocratic ancestors dating back a couple of centuries. The Irish were fun loving people who liked to socialize and party. This sounded good to Boudreaux, he was a social loving guy. He never met a stranger. Just after relocating with the O'Briens, Big Daddy took Boodie to see Dr. Svoboda. Fortunately Boodie only had a few problems. His ears were infected and he was a little thin. Big Mama was happy to hear the lad was in good condition. Things sort of fell into place. A routine was established. Big Daddy got up early. He and Boodie would set out on their morning walk. Often they would bring the neighbors paper and set it by their doors. Every morning they passed Damien's house but he was still asleep. Boodie didn't mine, he'd see his pal later in the day. They would continue along waving to all the neighbors as they drove off to work. Boodie liked neighbor Terry a lot. He'd run fast to greet him. Terry liked Boodie too. They became great friends. Everyday as Boodie and Big Daddy walked the neighborhood they visited with neighbors and checked to be sure everyone and everything was o.k. Boodie and Big Daddy met Buster the cat on one of their walks. Boodie liked Buster but he knew to keep a healthy distance between them. Buster liked to roll over so Big Daddy could scratch his tummy. Boodie really missed Buster when he went away on vacation to the Chateau in Clear Lake. While he was away Big Daddy and Boodie patrolled the neighborhood and kept an eye on Buster's house.
Boodie also like uncle Willie and Miss Quanita. He and Bid Daddy loved to visit Uncle Willie in his garage. Sometimes Uncle Willie smoked and it burned Boodies eyes so Big Daddy and Boodie would cut their visits short on these occasions.
One Day Big Mama said Big Daddy had a fat tummy and that could be trouble. As usual she was right. She was a smart woman. Big Mama tended to everybody's business. She told them what to do so they could stay healthy and happy. She knew everything. A couple of weeks later Dr. Younis called Big Daddy. he told Big Daddy to pack a bag and head straight for St. Luke's in the medical center. That was scarry for Boodie. He remembered Jean Claude. He thought Big Daddy might have to give him away. He didn't realize big mama wasn't going to let that happen. Anyway at St Luke's, Dr. Younis gave Big Daddy an angiogram and determined that Big Daddy needed surgery to correct blocked arteries. Boodie was a scholar. he understood the gravity of the situation. He knew Big Daddy would be away for awhile. Miss Quanita and Uncle Willie told Big Mama not to worry. Everyday they came over and played with Boodie. In the evening Big mama came home from the hospital. At night Boodie protected Big Mama. He watched and listened to be sure everything was serene on the home front. After a long while Dr. Younis sent Big Daddy home. It was a big day. Boodie stood at the window watching. He saw the 4 runner pull into the driveway. His little body shivered with excitement. Big Daddy was home and all was right with the world. Big Mama had her hands full. She had to take care of Big Daddy. Boodie was a big help. He stayed busy fetching socks to keep Big Daddy's feet warm. Slowly Big Daddy improved. His appetite returned. Big Mama's stayed busy in the kitchen preparing all Big Daddy's favorite foods, bar BQ ribs, southern fried chicken and Car Head Biscuits slathered with butter. Everyday at noon Big Mama and Boodie made a run to McDonald's to get hamburgers and french fries. Big Daddy loved McDonald's. Boodie was partial to the McDonald's french fries. Big Daddy always gave him some of his fries.

Background

These are the stories of my parent's poodle written by my mother before her illness.