Wordless Wednesday - Fur Angels

 

Duffy

Gryffon

Ceilidh

Tucker

Beckett

Keltic

Silent Sunday

 Remembering those dogs I have loved and lost. I could have missed the pain but I'd of had to miss the dance.

Keltic

Beckett

Ceilidh

Tucker

Duffy

Gryffon

Candle Lighting 2021 Video

Dr Seuss Day

“Remember me and smile, for it's better to forget than to remember me and cry.”

Starpath's Glenmohr Duffy, call name Duffy

Dierenfriend's Nicky's Shadow, call name Gryffon

Dierenfriend's Maddie's Tucker, call name Tucker

Kelbren's Ceilidh Everlasting, call name Ceilidh

Triadic's Glenciaran Beckett, call name Beckett

So many memories and smiles because it happened.

Happy Dr Seuss Day!

To Robbie Burns.. and to Gryffon and Beckett too

Robert Burns
Auld Lang Syne

Twa Dogs
He was a gash an' faithfu' tyke,
As ever lap a sheugh or dyke.
His honest, sonsie, baws'nt face
Aye gat him friends in ilka place;
His breast was white, his touzie back
Weel clad wi' coat o' glossy black;
His gawsie tail, wi' upward curl,
Hung owre his hurdie's wi' a swirl. 

Twa Dogs with a bit of translation

Gryffon

Gryffon

Beckett

Beckett and Keltic on the Ottawa River

“Had we never lov'd sae kindly,

Had we never lov'd sae blindly,

Never met -- or never parted --

we had ne'er been broken-hearted”

Thoughtful Thursday - Tributes

I have tributes to my furkids that have passed over to the Bridge on a web site called In Memory of Pets and links to their tributes are on my blog page. About a month ago, I tried the links and they did not work. I was upset at the loss as those words, written in a time of grief, were a powerful memory for me and I hadn't thought to save what I had written anywhere else.  Well, today I tried  one of the links again and it still didn't work but it brought me to a newly designed web site and I was able to find my tributes to Duffy, Gryffon, Ceilidh and Tucker.

So in order not to lose them once again, I'll copy them here.

 Duffy

May 25 1988 ----- February 10 2000

I miss you Duffy.

From the first time I saw you

you were mine.

We had so many good times.

You were the most friendly beautiful soul I've ever met.

Trusting and loving

you were the most faithful of friends and my best friend.

I wanted to be with you at the end

but you picked your own time to go.

Gryffon misses you too.

love,

Momma

Gryffon

November 22 1994 ----- August 23 2002

My buddy, my friend.
So shy, most people didn’t know the real you.
Boundless energy,
you were always ready to play! 
Boundless love, 
you were always ready for a cuddle or to
give me a big hug!

Gone from my life, 
you’ll never be gone from my heart! 
I miss you and Tucker misses you too.

Love forever,

Momma

Kelbren Ceilidh Everlasting

January 21 2003  ----- 26 May 2010

My little princess

Spin, dance, prance,

Your joy for life was ever present.

Quiet with your affection,

I always knew you were my girl.

Loud in your opinion,

It always seemed I let you have your way.

I miss your beautiful tail, sparkling eyes, and happy smile,

You were such a beautiful girl.

I miss your exuberant greetings,

Our home is so quiet without you.

Although it hurt deeply to let you go,

I knew it was the right thing for you.

My wonderful, crazy Ceilidh,

You’ll be Everlasting in my Heart.

Love,

Momma, Tucker and Beckett

Tucker

October 31 2000  ----- August 23 2012

My Steadfast little man,

so loyal and true,

these are just a few words that describe you,

Thoughtful and wise,

I’ll never forget your soulful eyes.

Cool and brave,

It was your best effort that you always gave.

Trusting and smart,

even though we’re now apart,

You’ll be forever in my heart.

Miss you so much Boo!! 

Momma, Beckett and Keltic

Gryffon

This is Gryffon, my first bi-black Sheltie. He was a ball hound, just an absolute fanatic about them. He also loved water but didn't like to swim.  From the first time I saw him, he was mine.

But I lost Gryffon at just 7 and half years old. He had been treated for a gastrointestinal infection, bladder stones, ulcers but it turned out after exploratory surgery that he had an abdominal wall infection. He survived the surgery but not the post operation period.

Gryffon was very shy with people but of all my dogs, I always thought he was the one who would have protected me. After he passed, this song There's a Hero by Billy Gilman became Gryffon's song.

There's a Hero

I'm sure Gryffon was hero, even if he didn't show that to most people.

My Fur Kids!

For my 300th blog post, I'm remembering all my fur kids with their baby pictures. It's my first attempt at a collage. I really have to learn to work with the photo editor software that I have but it didn't turn out too bad.

Clockwise starting top left:

Ceilidh, my second bi-black and, to date, my only little girl, wonderful crazy Ceilidh gone too soon.
Duffy, my first Sheltie, the one who started this addiction.
Keltic, my youngest, my wild child, but he'll grow up one day.
Beckett, my cuddly handsome boy and my second Agility Champion.
Gryffon, my first bi-black, couldn't live without a bi-black now, so handsome, he also was gone too soon.
Tucker, my second sable, my first agility dog and first Agility Champion.

Wordless Wednesday

Getting Ready for Summer Hoildays

In two weeks, I begin my summer holidays. I'm taking the month of August off but I'm sure it won't seem long enough.

The first weekend of my holiday, I'll be going camping with some friends and their dogs. I've decided only to take Beckett with me and Tucker will have a sleepover at my neighbour Julie's house.
So this weekend, we're going to begin to get ready. I'll put my utility trailer in the garage and begin to pack my camping gear. That's the nice thing about the trailer is that I can pack it up and leave it packed, then all I really need to pack in the car is food and clothes. Tonight I bought Beckett a life jacket.

Beckett sporting his new life jacket.

Last summer on our camping trip, he didn't want to go in at all; he might have had a little scare earlier in the summer when he ran into the water at Cape Jouramain, NB and found himself being lifted off his feet by the waves. I've only had one Sheltie, Gryffon who liked water and even he didn't like to swim.

Gryffon

The following weekend, I'll be driving back down to New Brunswick. While I'm there I'm going to put on a little agility demonstration at the Nursing Home where my Mum resides and Beckett and I will compete in an agility trial in Shediac River.

I get back home on the 16th and right now I have no special plans for what I'll do the rest of the month. I may do a bit more camping and I've been checking out B&Bs that allow pets. I also have some things around the house that I'd like to get done and it's always nice when you don't have to rush.

Memories

Tomorrow, 21 January 2011 marks Ceilidh's 8th birthday. There are some days when I still find not having her in my life extremely difficult. This has been especially true when I've had a particularly good day with Beckett. At the end of the day I usually find, as the song "Just a Dream" says; "I was thinkin about her, thinkin about me. Thinkin about us, what we gonna be? Open my eyes, yeah; it was only just a dream." And it's hard waking from the dream as I had expected Ceilidh to be with me for many more years.

As hard as it may be sometimes, I do find it helps to look at old photos and video so I decided to do a video collage of photos of my three Angels at the Bridge: Duffy, Gryffon and Ceilidh. The rainbow clip in the video is due to the thoughtfulness of Lyne L and was taken at the first fun trial that Beckett was entered in after the loss of my dear little Ceilidh.

Remembering Duffy, Gryffon and Ceilidh

I hear people say that they have a "heart dog" and I find it difficult to understand how one dog could be a "heart dog" while another is not. My Angels were such wonderful souls, each different but each held a special place in my heart. Maybe I've been lucky and they were all my "heart dogs". 

I don't want this post to be maudlin but rather a celebration of the time I had with them, just wish that time could have been longer. So I'll end this post with some lyrics from Just a Dream and Halo:

"And now they're gone and you wish you could give them everything."

But at least "Standing in the light of your halos, I got my angels now".

Never far from my thoughts and forever in my heart!!

Memories

I was just looking at old photos of my first Sheltie Duffy and my first bi-black Gryffon. I thought I would post their baby pictures. It's funny how it's the little things you remember, I remember the first time I saw both of my boys. Duffy was only 5 1/2 weeks old and the breeder was just getting them accustomed to the outside. All of Duffy's brothers and sisters trundled off to explore the world but Duffy stayed and pulled on my shoe laces. I hadn't picked a puppy at that time but that made my choice, Duffy picked me.


Gryffon was one of two pups in his litter that hadn't been yet adopted; his sister was more outgoing but Gryffon had markings I had always dreamed of, a full white collar and blaze. I picked Gryffon.

No matter how long they are with us; it is never long enough. I had Duffy with me for 12 1/2 years but I lost Gryffon at only 7 1/2 years as result of an abdominal wall infection. They are never far from my thoughts and are always in my heart.

My friend Colette also lost her first Westie, Darcy unexpectedly. She recently lost her second Westie, Bogart (Bogie) at 14 1/2 years old.

Duffy and Darcy were the best of buds. They were both great dogs and they were bilingual, too. Colette even brought Darcy to visit with Duffy in Moncton NB while I was posted in England.

I wish that we had them with us longer but at least we have such wonderful memories. They are such a big part of our lives, those who have never loved an animal cannot understand the place they have in our hearts.

From the first time you hold them, they steal a piece of your heart.