Dog Gone It

We've been talking about and planning his departure for literally months now.

It certainly didn't make it any easier this morning.

The vet showed up right on time.

Tiny Asian woman, she made me look overweight...

and old.

She was very efficient, nice and extremely compassionate.

Believe it or not, Ham actually got up off his dog bed in our bedroom the first time we called him. It usually takes us ten to fifteen minutes to get him interested in getting up at all.

He knew.

He was ready.

We weren't.

He meandered out on a leash with Massey and hiked his leg on one of our palms by the carport.

Then he simply followed Massey over to the sheet we had on the driveway and stood there...

patiently.

The vet gave him a sedative first. She told us to hold and hug him because the shot would hurt.

Ham never flinched or moved.

He was ready.

We still weren't.

Tim silently stood by in the garage, a few feet away.

Ham's head was in my lap and his paw was in Massey's hand.

The vet said we needed  to give the sedative a few minutes to work, so as we waited...

 I told her Ham's story.

The Boy had a story, that's for sure.

I don't think any of us said much after that, as she administered the finality cocktail through his vein...but I remember hearing her quietly, almost chortling (as she slowly shook her head) saying, as though in bewilderment...

"He had his own Facebook page?"

And just like that...

Ham was Dog gone.

I knew it would hurt (me) and it did.

I lost a a part of myself on that sheet, spread out to take Ham away.

As we all sat around, after the fact, the vet asked us if we wanted her to stay for a bit?

Nice to ask, nice to hear but we needed to be alone...

she knew, and expected that, so she left.

I went inside to get ready for work as Tim picked up a shovel.

 This is our forever home now, and where Ham needed to remain.

I can see where he is going to be now, every time I look out my kitchen window. I just won't be able to actually see him. 

That's okay, he couldn't see us either.

Our neighbors from across the street came down. The husband helped Tim dig a pretty massive hole,without having to ask for help...the Big Fella weighed almost as much as I do.

The wife stayed with Massey after I left for work.

We've been lucky enough to land in a really tight knit community, all living together in a protected nature preserve, with people who are all very conscientious about this wonderful gift of Mother Nature we are blessed to live in.

Ham found the perfect place to be remembered...

and he will be.

Til next time, COTTON