August 12th 2007 6:24 am
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Today is the second anniversary of my arrival at the Rainbow Bridge and although Mom still miss me and thinks of me everyday, her eyes don't well up every time my name is mentioned. My buddy, Clarence, arrived at the Rainbow Bridge this year and Sue Ann and Mom like to imagine we are barking and chasing the herons over here. Soon Mom will go with her to pick out two new rescue greyhounds to live with her and they will become Annie's friends.
Mom loves Annie and I’m glad that Mom rescued her like we planned because she was a real basket case when I passed over and Annie really needed her, too. I’m still coaching Annie from behind the scenes, like the first time she woofed rather then arfed when someone came to the door and, after she was a good girl for a year, I told her it was finally OK to sleep in my bed.
Howi and Mom often sit on the bench by the Zoya Memorial Citrus Garden and Howi likes to sit and hang out under the Citrus Cocktail tree, where I’m buried. It had fruit for the first time last year and now it is full of green fruit again. Perhaps by next year, it will be big enough for Howi to climb its branches.
This year, because she was thinking of of me, Mom got involved with the fight to Save Zeus and battled a BDL that was incorrectly applied. She remembered when I intimidated that drunken neighbor that was yelling at her and calling me names as we were on our own front lawn. Mom wouldn’t let go of my leash and I couldn't reach him or I would have had a piece of him, for sure! The next day, a police officer showed up and told me “you were identified as a "dangerous dog" because I barked and showed my teeth to that obnoxious drunk who used to beat his wife. None of us liked that guy! The policeman apologized but cited me anyway. We moved from that neighborhood to this one a few months later. In 14 yrs, I never bit anybody but intimidated a lot of people (it was fun) and deterred anyone with bad intentions from coming around my girls or our house! Well, Zeus got to go home to his folks and Mom felt so good about that that she made a donation to Underdog Rescue in my name and Annie’s. Next week is Annie’s 3rd Birthday and Mom is going to make her a chopped chicken liver birthday cake again-Just like she used to make every year for me!
August 11th 2006 5:05 pm
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For Zoya, my mighty protectress, my big beautiful fluffy red princess with those gorgeous black rimmed eyes.
Throughout your life, your strong presence, attitude and formidable bark defined you. I loved you as a fuzzy puppy. As an adult dog, I admired you for your self confidence, observant nature and perceptiveness of people. When you and I entered our mature stage of life together, our shared memories and love for the girls, now grown up, made it exciting when one of them or all of them came home for a visit. At home, we hugged and cuddled and petted and relaxed like we didn't have time for during the early years with the hustle and bustle of raising the kids. Walking the beach just doesn't give me the same pleasure as it did with you beside me. I'm glad I was able to be an indulgent pet parent and ease the distress of you losing your vitality to the rigors of old age the last few years. I loved you so much I somehow found the strength to let you go a year ago today and, in my dreams, you are my young, exuberant Zoya once again.
This is a special Tail of Devotion
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March 21st 2006 3:09 pm
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From fuzzy puppy to awesome canine
Your sense of self confidence and adventure could not be restrained.
To strangers you had an aura of powerful guardian of family and home
Only those whom you chose for friends knew your humor and affection.
You had your personal boundaries that we learned to respect
Your quirks and tickle spots that were dangerous to forget
A big dog who blamed the thunder and lightning on the cat
Who despite eating everybody’s leftovers never got fat.
You were our protector, You were our buddy,
You ran all over town with Susan,
You sat on the couch with Lisa when she was scared to be home alone,
You stole Carla’s teddy bears off her bed and never told her secrets.
You considered yourself one of the girls.
You played soccer and changed the rules-growling and intimidation allowed
You swam laps in the pool and jumped off the diving board
And you enjoyed being in the bubbles in the Jacuzzi.
Bird Key Beach was your favorite hang-out-
We would walk in the water for hours
Of course, I had to keep you on a leash
or you would have swam to City Island
You never failed to believe that if you could swim as fast
As the pelicans could fly, you could catch one.
Uncle Frank’s whistle would bring you running, big fluffy tail, curling and wagging,
He was your favorite man and always brought you fresh fish and presents
He shared your love of the sea and whenever you would see a man surf-fishing,
Your tail would wag until you realized it wasn’t him.
Your gentle and perceptive side came through when we would visit Grandma
In the nursing home and you would jump on her bed and settle down next to her.
She would give you her breakfast, which you thought was yummy, and would lick her hand.
You were a good dog for her and Grandma loved you, too.
We tried to keep a good quality of life in your retirement but this last year has been difficult for you to cope with the disabilities that come with old age. Now you are released from pain and infirmities and can race across the Rainbow Bridge to jump and play again.
We trusted you to Guard the House and keep us safe and, for 13 years, you did. You were a Wonderfully Unique Dog and we will love and remember you all the days of our lives.
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