Dear Earl,
Peter and Jan's house,
Nepean
Hey fellow dog, Raggmopp here. Sorry I didn't get to see you while you were at the cottage last month. These old muscles just couldn't make a trip out to Bass Lake anymore.
Thursday, August 7th, 2003 was a special day for each of us. I know you turned five years old. You go girl! (Why ARE you called Earl?) It must be nice to be at the cottage and able to run all over the place. You've got Bell, the yeller Lab, next door with Andrew and Drew and Rad and Juliet's cat across the road. Caesar? Anyway, lots to smell and do up there! You're still young, so enjoy these days.
Doctor Ann stopped by to see us on your birthday. I don't remember her ever making a house call before. Hum. She was on her way to her veterinarian clinic in Carleton Place. On Sunday, four days earlier, Gary had given me a nice "bath". Actually, we both had a shower; that's the way it goes I guess. He had asked people at Fallowfield United Church that morning if they wanted to help but it seemed they all had something to do. Getting their "colours" done I suppose.
Anyway I sure I smelled great and Gary ended up sleeping with me on Wednesday night. We often had afternoon naps on the comforter but this was overnight. Even with the blinds open in the livingroom, we've never had a problem catching a few winks. Lately though, that's all I've wanted to do. Gary started carrying me up and down the stairs last year and I managed to convince him that looong walks aren't necessary. I didn't mind going the two blocks to his mother's though. She always had some milk bone treats and she'd understand me when I'd ask for them (as soon as we'd arrive of course).
Anyway, I was getting a nice combing when Dr. Ann arrived. Boy, she has good "bedside" manner. She explained to Gary and his friend Cathy, what she was going to do. The small needle I got just made me sleepy and I started to dream within minutes. Almost half an hour later, she gave me this huge syringe of sodium penathol. In small doses, it is "truth serum". I think Gary wanted to ask me who peed on the carpet last month. He didn't get a chance. That stuff is fast acting. I was gone in half a minute!
No more struggling to get up anymore. No more just lying on the comforter when would Buddy visit. Secretly, he was just happy to eat my dry dog food. Oh, strange thing about my food. Gary took the IAMs away on Wednesday, but gave me a milk bone every time I asked, from then on. Sometimes I got one even when I hadn't done anything! Cool.
Life's a lot better now, Earl. During the last couple of weeks, I was a different dog. I'd bark at Gary and show my teeth whenever he'd pick me up to go outside. That's not like me. Really. Even eating wasn't such a big deal anymore. "Oh goodie! Dog food again", to quote Gary Larsen's Far Side cartoon. Dr. Ann thought I'd dropped even more that the five pounds I've lost since New Year's. Probably. Hard to tell with this Old English Sheepdog coat.
We'd been playing with my meds and I got some of the old "Get Up And Go" back for a while this spring. However, I was sliding back to the "get up and go-on-the-carpet" habit again. Gary didn't seem to mind, though. However, don't you try it a home, Earl. There's no treats in it for a dog. Eaton's came and did a number on the carpet and for a couple of weeks it looked brand new. Then the old stains came back so he'll have to get some new stuff now. It's time.
Gary's been a mess though. He spent August the sixth with his mom but his mind was somewhere else. ("Nothing new", said Max but this was worse than usual.) He pulled up to a traffic light with his mom and came to a complete stop. Drivers should do that when it's red but this was green. He was just being careful I guess. Leaving the headlights on and killing the battery IS something he does a lot so it was good that he had jumper cables. Too bad they were back at home with me.
Yeah, he was a mess. Lesley gave him a card about me and Gary found out that he could drive AND cry. Hum. Gaily sent great story about a meadow. I'm there now, running and jumping like I used to do when I'd see Buddy. Some day Gary will join me and we'll cross over the "Rainbow Bridge". That's where Gaily's Webster went earlier this year. Sandy also e-mailed and she is there if Gary needs to talk. (Gary did NOT have a relationship with her. He wasn't sure so he asked her. Just as well. She's happily married.) Scott, Maria, Sylvie, Max, Carol Anne, Leigh, Bernadette and his other neighbours have all expressed their sympathies and support. Gary's pretty lucky. Not kind of luck when a child falls four stories and survives. That's not lucky. Winning the 6/49 and having great friends; now THAT's luck.
Cathy and Gary's mom have been really good. They didn't leave him out of their sight that week. They've checked out the 45 page album of photographs that he put together. Now it would be good if he could continue that effort and do something with the hundreds, nay thousands of remaining photographs in the basement.
Now Gary sometimes hears me in the house. Crazy, eh! He'll stop and listen but of course, there is nothing to hear. I've gone. As bad as his memory is though, he'll never forget me. Who could? If you like, I'll encourage him to write a few more stories about us. Let him know.
Thanks for the great memories.
Raggmopp,
The Old English Sheepdog
Originally Posted : 161203
