Bailey

Bailey rocking TMNT socks in 2016

R.I.P. Bailey (5/05/2012 - 1/15/2024)

Early this week, we said goodbye to another member of our furry family. Bailey was my local brother and sister-in-law’s golden retriever, but, as with Ellie, Lexi before her and Cinnamon now, he’s really a family dog.

Bailey was the epitome of the most loyal companion. He’d follow my brother to the ends of the Earth, if my brother was so inclined to travel. He enjoyed getting good pets and, if you weren’t vigilant, you might notice he’d already drooled in your lap while hoping for people food. He loved going for rides.

One of my favorite lines is the time my cousin, Megan, a veterinarian, stated, “I just want to braid Bailey’s butt hairs.” When I reminisced with her about this via text this week, she responded, “His butt hair was pretty beautiful.” LOL!

Bailey is dearly missed, especially by my brother and sister-in-law. I have a human nephew, but Bailey was my first nephew, my doggy nephew. He left this mortal coil only three-and-a-half months after Ellie. It looks like Grandpa Dick has another Heaven-side doggy companion to take walks with!

Thank you to the veterinarian who eased Bailey peacefully out of this world with my brother and sister-in-law by his side.

P.S. As my parents welcomed Cinnamon the Friday after Ellie left us, my brother, sister-in-law and nephew welcomed Gus the Friday after Bailey left (meaning today)!

Ellie

R.I.P. Ellie (4/24/2016 – 10/02/2023)

Lisa & Ellie, Early June 2016

Ellie in July 2021

Today has been a heartbreaking day. My family and I said goodbye to Ellie. She’s my parents’ golden retriever, but in reality, she’s a family dog. She loved all of us, and we all loved her. Her love for us was truly unconditional. For all intents and purposes, she was my sister, my golden-furred, four-legged sister. And yes, my mom sometimes called me Ellie! J

She’d been feeling unwell for weeks, but none of us knew the extent of how unwell she was. We learned on Wednesday of last week that she was in complete renal failure. She’d likely been sick for awhile, but hid it from us until she just couldn’t anymore. I have a sweet photo of my nephew, Liam, hugging Ellie only a few nights ago. By last night, she couldn’t hold up her own weight. My dad had to carry her into the house. I got to say goodbye this morning, but those goodbyes are always hard.

Ellie was always sassy and full of spunk. You couldn’t brush her without her thinking it was a game, barking at the brush like it was a squirrel she’d spotted. She loved playing fetch using the Chuckit!, but she really loved tennis balls in general. She loved vanilla ice cream. She loved all of us humans, but she especially loved my dad and my nephew. The rest of us were chop suey when either of them was in the room. She didn’t give hugs on the regular, so when she did, you knew she’d missed you a great deal and noticed your absence (as my childhood friend, Kristi, can confirm). We’ll miss her excited whine and her energy and her love. Surely, Lexi has already greeted her in Heaven, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Grandpa Dick has already taken a walk with both of them. We’ll all reunite again someday.

Thank you to the veterinarian who eased Ellie peacefully out of this world with my parents by her side. She lived for all of us!

Cat Has My Back #sol18

Please note: I am not actively participating in the Slice of Life Challenge, but I have a sister-in-law who is. As I texted her earlier this month, “Mayhaps I will participate next year.”

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I have three A-B-C cats. Abacus is male, while Bibbidi and Cannoli are female. See? A-B-C names, so they are my A-B-C cats. They are littermates born last year. I took them in from a couple in our church family. As best I understand, their mother was dumped off, had her litter of five and was killed only weeks later (I thought she got hit by a vehicle on the road, but I also heard she was killed by neighbor dogs, so I don’t know the correct story and don’t want to know).

            They are outdoor cats, but before you get any ideas that I don’t care about my outdoor felines, please think again. They have their designated “cat shed.” They are spayed/neutered and are up-to-date on shots. They are litter box-trained. During the cold months, I have a heated cat tent and a heated water bowl for their use.

            It is obvious that Abacus, Bibbidi and Cannoli were worked with a lot before they came to live here. They enjoy being held – cuddled – and absolutely love attention. They will follow me around like a dog. When Abacus wants to alert me to a possum in the yard or an empty food dish, he will meow at me very seriously (truly, it is a distinct meow). They all like talking to me when the mood suits. They are fantastic mousers.

            The pictures I’ve shared are of Cannoli in one of her favorite spots – on my back – as I’m dealing with their litter box. My mom happened to be at my house and so witnessed this and helpfully took some pictures. She even gave a play-by-play at one point:

·         “She is grooming her paws.”

·         “Now she’s lying out on your back.”

·         “She’s coming close to your neck like she’s going to sniff you or pat you.”

            It turns out that dogs aren’t the only best friends, though I love them, too. It’s just that cats are this woman’s best friends (of the furry variety)!

Cannoli has my back.

Results of Cannoli having my back during Muddy Season.

Lexi

R.I.P. Lexi (6/30/2004 – 2/29/2016)

[For those that aren’t animal lovers, this little post might seem absurd.

And that’s okay if you don’t empathize. But you might want to quit reading now.]

Lexi in August 2004

What's more chill than this?

Yesterday, my family and I said good-bye to Lexi. She was very ill and was in much pain.* While four-legged and covered in fur, she was a member of our family in every sense of the word, and she certainly saw herself as a full-fledged member of the family. As with most Golden Retrievers, she was a happy, gentle-spirited dog (once past those “puppy brain” years, anyway). She was full of love. All she wanted was love in return. Also: play time, rides, good brushings and treats.

She was a huge fan of remote-controlled toys, especially cars/trucks. Even on her last day, in her last hurrah, while her movements weren’t as quick-footed, her happy barks were as yippy as a pup’s. Lexi also loved other little creatures, especially kittens (and baby bunnies, when we raised them as pets). One of my favorite pictures of her was taken with “her” kittens, which was a motherless group of four: Oreo, Linkon (a.k.a. Link), Pounce (a.k.a. Pouncey) and Petri.

Lexi was also the most caring of dogs. I fondly recall a time, years ago, when we were playing fetch (huge fan of tennis balls; she could never have enough), I ran and threw the ball. However, when I threw it, I caught the edge between the cement and the driveway and fell. Lexi would NOT retrieve the ball until I got up, and she could see that I was uninjured. What a caretaker!

Our hearts ache for our beloved family member. We miss her more than words can express or tears can show. We’ll miss her tender personality, and we’ll miss her “scolding” any of us if we walked in the door after being gone for a time she felt was too long. It didn’t matter if you lived here or not. If she thought you needed scolding, she’d give you the what-for! To our pet who’s full of pure love: We love you, we miss you, and we’ll see you on the other side.

* A great, big THANK YOU goes out to one of our local veterinarians, who enabled Lexi to leave this world peacefully. Another big round of THANK YOUs goes out to our veterinarian relatives who were but a phone call or text away with advice and answers to questions.