Goodbye to Keeper

  Oh Man does this hurt!! I feel like I had something amputated at the vets when I had Keeper put down. She was 18 and some months, would have been 19 in July. I am sure she took a big chunk of my heart with her as her little spirit floated away. Can't say how many tears I have cried and they don't seem to help except to tire me out. I am most grateful to Dr. Pat and to Dorothy for making this passing as quiet and easy as possible. The relaxer shot before hand helped a lot and Keeper laid down and went to sleep on the floor and then Pat picked her up and put her on the table as Dorothy and I held her and he injected to final dose of stuff to take my wonderful old dog on her last trip. It was as “easy” as humanly possible but it still was wretchingly hurtful. The blessing is...it doesn't take long. I took much longer to cry myself out and I obviously am not done yet by a long shot as here I go once again. It just effing hurts!! BIG time! I am already looking for her as I have for many years. But dead is done and she will not experience any more pain, won't be staggering into the walls etc. or falling off the steps. She is simply at the Rainbow Bridge waiting for me with Chubby Chicken, and Aussie and Skidder and all the rest. Oh My, how to go one without her??

Teko on the other hand made it through his teeth cleaning and didn't need any removed. Although Dr. Pat is worried about his left eye we only have drops to put in it twice a day for a couple of weeks. He isn't out of the woods yet and may need the eye removed if the drops don't do a small miracle. But with his cataracts he can't see anyway so...not that big a deal. The little toughie walked out to the car on his own steam and has claimed his basket and already chased one of the Reddings away. Talk about a survivor! And in the coming days I imagine I will be glad to have him at least to try and fill a little of the void my Keeper has left in my life. And Rocky is still here and in a week Jiggs is coming back and of course we cannot forget the Reddings! So I am grateful that I did not return to a totally devoid of animals house! Now that would be bloody sad!

On the good side of things, I just finished up my doggin' for the month and can sleep in tomorrow. Although I seldom do the thought is nice. It has a ring of freedom to it. I have taken a chicken poop way out of dealing with the hurt and am on my third rye and gingerale. Now I am going for a nice long nap and will make supper whenever I decide to wake up. Thanks go out to friends that are aware and have offered kind thoughts but really nothing helps. Nice thoughts though and I was glad to take one last walk with Jill and Teddy. For the rest of us life goes on and I salute my brave and loyal Keeper on this fateful day. ###