R.I.P. Pepper

It came to me that every time I lose a dog they take a piece of my heart with them, and every new dog who comes into my life gifts me with a piece of their heart.  If I live long enough all the components of my heart will be dog, and I will become as generous and loving as they are.

Annoymous

This sweet baby came into our lives almost 17 years ago.  We had lost our beloved Bosco who was a Fox Terrier at 18 and our dog Libby needed some company.  We've almost always had 2 dogs and even at one time we had 3 dogs.  Working full time jobs back in the day we always felt like the dogs were company for one another and therefore got into less trouble.  For us...it worked.  No chewed shoes or furniture and easy peasy housetraining.  So when Bosco died we felt like we needed a companion for Libby. 
We waited all of about 3 months before we decided to start looking and I had decided that I wanted a Schipperkee.  Don't ask me why except that it just seemed like a good size and the breed seemed to have the personality that appealed to me.  In the past we've adopted shelter dogs and they have been terrific but this time I wanted to go with a particular breed.
Schipperkee (pronounced Skipper-Key) is a breed from Belgium.  Schipperkee is supposed to translate as "Little Captain". They were bred as watchdogs for the barges.  Supposedly in the beginning the dogs had full length tails but they kept falling off their patrol watch walkway and into the water so it was decided that the tail be docked and that is how you will find the dogs today. 
I can certainly attest to the fact that she was a water dog.  She LOVED to swim and when she was younger we took her down to the river all the time to swim.  In fact one summer she swam so much that she actually got swimmers ear and had to have drops applied to her ears before and after a swim.  She would stay in the water so long and we often felt she would swim until she'd collapse.  We never let it go that far but she did love to swim...hated a bath but loved the river. 
Pepper has a few alias', she was known as "The Peepster", "Schipperkee" and also "Black Dog".  I loved her deeply and will miss her forever but I've known for a while now that her time on this earth was coming to an end. 
The last couple of nights were extremely peaceful for her.  In the past 6 months or so she would often get me up to take her outside so that she could go to the bathroom.  Then there were the couple of times that I woke up to a surprise in the morning where she had pooped in her sleep.  Fortunately for me she'd been sleeping on her special bed that was centered on a shower curtain "just in case".   Worked really well as you can just hose off the shower curtain and replace it with another one while you wash the one that had the accident on it. 
I knew that something was up when she wouldn't eat.  She always had a good appetite so for her to be off her food was a considerable clue. 
I just knew that I would know when she was ready to go and I saw that look in her eye today.  I had always hoped that she would pass quietly in her sleep and when that didn't happen and I saw the look in her eyes today I knew that it was time.
My husband felt that it would be best for me to stay at the house while he took her to the vets and as it turned out she almost passed before he actually got to the vets. 
She simply closed her eyes and then the Dr. administered the shot.  She never even flinched when the Dr. inserted the needle into her leg.  It was peaceful.  I am at peace in knowing that I did the right thing.  It hurts a lot right now and will hurt for a while but I know that time will heal this wound. 
She was a great dog and I loved her deeply.

When God had made
 the earth and sky,
 the flowers and the trees,
 He then made all the animals
 the fish, the birds and bees 
 And when at last He'd finished
not one was quite the same.
He said I'll walk this
world of mine
and give each one a name.
And so He traveled
far and wide
and everywhere He went,
a little creature followed Him
until its strength was spent.
When all were named
upon the Earth
and in the Sky and Sea, the little
creature said
"Dear Lord, there's no name left for me."
Kindly the Father said to it
"I've left you to the end.
I've turned my own name
back to front
and called you, DOG, my friend."

Author Unknown

Tucson AZ. or bust

Not the best picture I must admit but I thought about this much too late as the stewardesses were telling everyone that they had to turn off their electronic devices.  But if you look at the tower it does spell out Tucson.

I took a little trip last week to visit my best friend of 40 years.  She and her husband had recently moved to Tucson, AZ. after spending 37 years in Las Vegas, NV.  They needed a change of pace after suffering an unconsolable loss.  I lost my mother but she lost her dad, a child and her only brother in a matter of about 18 months.  I can't even begin to imagine how one deals with that kind of loss.  I told her as soon as they were settled and I could break away...I would and I did. 

I left on a Wednesday and returned on a Tuesday and had the best time doing nothing but spending time with my best friend from High School.  Oh, we did a little sightseeing but the important thing for me and for her was to just spend some quality time together, talking, cooking, crying, eating, drinking and laughing. 

There is really not a lot to say about the trip other than I think that we were both able to open up about our losses and cry openly without feeling that we were a burden to one another.

This is what the countryside looked like...her house is about where those clouds are casting a shadow on the land below.  She also had an incredible view from her backyard.  You are looking right at those mountains and somehow it's an incredible peaceful thing. 

It was wonderful to get away but it was also good to get back home and make sure that all was well here.  My dog Pepper is having some age related health issues and I'm not sure that she will make the year.  So it was good to see that she was not any worse for the wear. 

Next Spring, Candy will come to visit me and maybe Bob and I can make a trip out there in the fall.
Whatever happens I know that we will enjoy it.