Yesterday afternoon
This afternoon
This afternoon ...without his collar jingling, without his heavy breathing, without his claws on the hardwood floor, without his lapping up half his water dish in a single sitting (and dripping it all over the floor and your pants). But he went quickly, and he is no longer in pain. And, as out of the main as the thought may be, I believe God will have our animals in heaven. (I'm used to being out of the main in things theological.)
Contemplatin' the nature of life; spring break last year
Sleepy. He was a leaner, and a hugger, and a paw-er. 
Treeing the cat!
December 2006 -- we'd had him about two months. What a great white face. He's our fourth Golden to have loved and lost. We do rescue. And I can't help it; I just always fall in love with the oldsters. They're always so cute, and so sweet, and so un-naughty, and so deserving. Our first oldster, a true saint, we had for four months before an undiscovered tumor took him. Our second developed seizures due to a cerebellar issue and died of pancreatitis; we had her for over a year, maybe a year and a half, during which time she went from being a coffee table to being a svelte red gal. Our third we had to let go of because rheumatoid arthritis finally caused his back end to stop working; I think we may have had him a year and a half to two years. And now we've had to let go of OldManDog, whose cancer recurred (this following two surgeries last year) and whose paw abscessed to the point where he couldn't hoist himself up anymore and had to be carried outside (this in the last two days). OMD is our longest tenure yet; two and a half years. We always swear we're going to get a younger one the next time, because this is just too hard. And then I go and fall in love all over again.
This spring break
Last spring break
I'm sure I'll tell you more stories about him in the coming weeks. Feel free to skip them if they get to be too much. But I'll keep telling them because it's the best way to keep him and his ball-playing goofiness alive in our hearts. We'll cry tonight and wake up puffy and headachey tomorrow. Thanks for making it this far through all the pictures.
17 comments:
Bless your hearts.
How could you not fall in love with that sweet, sweet face?
A friend in the Bernese Mountain Dog world has this quote in the sig line of her emails:
"If dogs don't go to heaven, I want to go where they go when I die." And to that I say, Amen.
you already know that sometimes the most important things to do are among the hardest - I am sad for you and I am happy too, knowing that omd was given and gave so much happiness in the past years that might otherwise not have happened.
As you know, our puffy eyes were just a few weeks ahead of yours. Praying for you as you grieve. And what a joy for you to have known OldManDog. Such a loving, sweet soul.
I'm so sorry for your loss. How fortunate he was to have had you for the time that he did.
We adopted an older black lab a couple of years after we bought this house and had her for about two and a half years before she went too, and it was so hard. The kids still talk about her regularly even though she died two years ago now. I'd like to get another dog, but I also just don't think I'm in a position to be taking care of anything more than I am already so I'm waiting until things get more settled down. And like you, I say that I'm going to get a younger dog, but then I suspect that I'll see another older dog and know that he or she won't get adopted otherwise, while everyone will snap up the puppies, and we'll come home with another adult dog.
Blessings on you both.
Oh, sad. Very sorry for your loss.
It looks like he his last years were wonderful.
Thinking of y'all.
Beautiful photos.
Sending you hugs.
He was a beautiful animal. I am sorry for your loss. Marianne found a description of aRainbow Bridge as a way we are reunited with our pets. It is a tribute to our pets that are no longer with us.
beautiful dog, beautiful story...thank you for sharing
I'm so, so sorry. He was clearly a much-beloved dog, and your collected family was obviously a blessing to you all. And clearly we will all -- human and furry -- be together in heaven.
Aw, you are wonderful. Our dogs are all rescue, too, but they were either puppies or young dogs. There's a great Golden rescue in our city and I'm always tempted...
Thinking of you.
I'm so sorry...you are doing such a wonderful thing in loving and caring for these old ones. I know you will miss him, he was a handsome boy. I'm still listening for Augie here, it does take time. :(
Oh. I am just so very sorry. I am so happy that you shared a life with him and that he was a joy to you and you to him.
I'm so sorry, he was so beautiful. I hope you get an old timer next time - they deserve your love if they're rescue dogs. Feel better soon.
Hugs and kisses.
I'm so sorry, CGM. He looks so sweet and obviously loved you two. You all are in my thoughts.
all of you are beautiful people and very kind encouragers. pom and i thank you for your supportive comments!
the hardest times are the mornings when he's not at the foot of the stairs to huff and greet us, and when we don't have to feed him, and when we come home from school and he's not there peering out of the fence checking to see if we're there yet, and when there's a crust or scrap left from breakfast or dinner and no one to drop it to.
i hope to have some time this weekend (the ap test is over, progress report grades are due friday) to construct a proper homage to him. it's a habit i've developed, but i haven't had the energy yet this time, for a variety of reasons. thank you all again. you rock.
What a beautiful dog and a wonderful friend. Your photos are a great tribute to him. I'm sorry for your loss!
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