Doggone

The oldest dog went to be with her Maker some time during the night. She was the one with the fluffy coat and the snuffling 'heh heh' style of greeting. Last night she was wandering blindly (cataracts) and restlessly (senility) all over the garden, more so than usual. This morning's sunlight greeted her lying stone cold and at peace beside a spreading bougainvillea bush. It was her favourite spot in the sun; I'm glad she found it in the dark.

We got her from the SPCA fifteen years ago, a light brown and white pup with a sort of innocently engaging gaze and a very undemanding nature (except when it came to sneaking food from the cat). She greeted people mostly with kindness and often with drool. She was a lovable dog, much more so than her two colleagues who tended towards over-exuberance and roughing up others for fun.She wasn't a particularly healthy or unusually beautiful creature. She survived surgery for a large tumour two years ago, and we thought we'd lost her then. She proved to be tougher than we thought. Then again, she's always been a surprise.

Some time later this morning, we thought to take a look at her license. Heh. It expires today. Goodbye, Sandy!

I still feel sad.

Ecclesiastes 3:20-21