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pinetrekker's howling log & journal

Investing emotions has a price & take their toll, but it's- worth it

Tribute to all my friends who have truly left their mark.

So many paws have veered off on another path/journey here at dogster and at home.
Glancing sideways, expecting to see their familiar faces and easy banter that comes with friendships grown over time, all the milestones...celebrations, holidays and even the dark hours when we would pick each other up and start again.
We with paws know it's just a matter of time til we converge and continue where we left off, with each other and of course our humans but they sometimes ignore or try to forget their journeys are longer and more intricate than ours even though deep in their heart they know we wait patiently beyond.
The reason why we exist is to provide companionship and an unconditional loyalty, to try to be daily reminders to humans that if you simplify your life and realize what is important, you have much more time & heart to attend to really appreciating the opportunity to LIVE and not just breathe....we often teach give them lessons or reminders how to treat other humans no less.

We lost our friends here in Minnesota, Bailey & Sarge recently to cancer the past few months and our mind and thoughts are here with harleyboy & Campeche and their families.
Poking my nose around I see many more who have crossed recently like Juneau, Jazz and Smiley, and even through time the edge hasn't softened in missing my friends QUANNAH and ELVIS and I just found out my friend Molly sought out the bridge as well...

I worry about mom 'cause I find her mind wander over there, to rainbow bridge since I guess I can officially be classified as an old lady or at least a few husky toes into senior citizenship. She scrutinizes over the added white hairs to my muzzle which you can hardly notice if you don't know me that well and because of my coloring. I like to throw a wrench into her thoughts & notions by still being as spirited in gait to the point people still ask her how old of a "pup" am I, when she tells them, their voices drop an octave and the Ohs" come out as the reminder of time and mortality cannot be ignored.

As I lay here in good health and give her the same loyalty and joy I have provided these past nine years, in the emotional nest of comfort & support, her heart goes out to my friends and most of all their humans, she can relate to.

(message from humom Sasha)

We invest in relationships, whether human or pets to take that leap of faith that our rewards will far surpass the sacrifices, sorrows and pain that feeling so deeply can bring.
People who don't have pets, especially dogs like to think or label us as crazy or eccentric at times but I take pity on them, those who have never experienced the joy of a beloved pet or being as simply, truly loved & adored as in the eyes of our pups here and now, beyond, forever.
We write this for all of you and know someday actually the message will ring the same for us. Know that there are others out there that have bearded similar grief, have experienced or are experiencing the bittersweet joy of walking down memory lane and that would do it all again to have known you and call you family.

THE harleyboy

Dogster is a highway, full of pups coming & going, an endless parade of dogs & humans with so little time to choose who you meet & get to know.
Some of us gather by region or breed or by other common interests. Many meet by chance and from those a few make a lasting impressions and perhaps a friendship or two.

harleyboy was truly an original...his looks made many of us fawn and coo because truly he was a looker, combined with the charms of his spokesman human, he left a trail or curious, interested and at times broken hearts because being social & extremely charming was natural to him.
But for a stingy gal like me, more is needed to impress and what really welcomed my heart was his love & zest for life...the endless curiosity and joy he found in LIVING. So many of us dogs are lucky to have a home and human guardian to care for us but there's a few who really excel at showing what a truly contented dog can share.

I cannot bring myself to look at harleydog's videos right now, the same ones that brought me such joy & laughter are remembrances of a one in a million special pup and it's hard to glance at that missed spirit.

harleydog for me was synonymous with dogster along with a handful of others and one of the pillars/cornerstones & fine ambassador of this site is now gone.

The hardest part to deal with is that harleydog exemplified life, joy & spirit. With him gone I feel dust in my lungs & breath, the continuous wave of energy is not complete down here, he was the one who tried to make you smile or laugh when you were crying inside so where do I turn to now?

All I know is somewhere up there at the Rainbow Bridge, it just got a whole light brighter...harleydog is lighting it up, I know it to my bones & husky paws. My friend sure knew how to live & liven up wherever he went and I am certain he is bringing a whole new ray of sunshine & energy beyond us.
The tears flood the vision of the keyboard and it's hard to type, but thank you friend for being such a light, a gift to those who crossed your path, til we meet again, love LM.

The most majestic omega

I cannot rest tonight without adding a small tribute entry for one of the grandest wolves which my humom was lucky enough to meet.
Her name was Lakota and she was the omega of the original ambassador wolf pack at the IWC/International Wolf Center in Ely MN founded by "Dr. Wolf" himself David Mech.
She was the reason humom enlisted in volunteering for IWC and for wolf orgs across the country. The reason she got more steadily involved in wildlife conservation, rescue and naturally in animal rescue.
In human society Lakota would of ruled...she was not only gorgeous & photogenic, she was a larger wolf, largest in her litter but in wolf society, larger doesn't always equate to alpha status and she never had the attitude nor the drive/will to achieve it. She witnessed a younger , beta birth sister die at a young age and she also outlived her brother the alpha male Lucas and MacKenzie the alpha female.
I have a youtube dedication clip on my page, take the time to view and witness the wonder of Lakota... there is a shot that breaks my heart of Lakota on the defensive and frenzied surrounded by four other wolves...much of her life was this yet she played a key part in the dichotomy of the pack, even when you least expected...when a wolf was brave enough to challenge authority & alpha and the wrestling became dark, Lakota would scoot in and break the ice and become the sole victim of torment, no contest when the omega was around but most other lowly wolf members would try to find a safe corner or lick the alpha's face in submission, Lakota would break up scuffles and sacrifice herself to ensure peace in her pack.
A most amazing wolf, a beautiful creature whom humom would of loved nothing more than to coddle and to love but we recognize and respect what is wild.
I am proud to share lineage with such an amazing creature and a noble being.

Rest in peace and in knowing your spirit truly lives on in us runts,underdogs & omegas.