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Don't worry buddy, Mommy will be home soon

Pup of the Week: Sydney

On holidays I like to venture over to the human side of the Immortal world.  Thousands of veterans gather to march in parades.  Everyone stands and cheers these brave men and women who gave their mortal lives for their country.  Some of them passed over the River saving their fellow soldiers.  Some succumbed to injuries after insisting that their friends receive treatment because the friend was hurt was more than they were,

Sydney is that solider.  Her brother Moose suffers from Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia.  Rainbow Bridge has entire villages filled with pups who have passed from this dreadful disease.  I have many friends here who succumbed to IMHA.  Sydney did everything in her power to make sure Moose was not one of those pups.

Sydney and I got back almost ten years.  We met on Doggyspace and became good friends.  Her human brother Jordan went to Iraq to fight in the war and our parents spent a lot of time talking about, and fretting over, his well being until he returned home.

Sydney brought lots of prayers for Jordan, and then, after Moose got sick, continued bringing prayers for him, to the Bridge  I personally took Moose’s prayers from Sydney and flew them up to the Big Guy.  There were so many prayers for Moose that the Big Buy finally answered yes.

Throughout all of this Sydney was hiding a secret.  She had something wrong with her too.  A year ago she began having cluster seizures.  Sydney insisted she was fine, even though the seizures continued and grew worse.  By the end of the year Sydney’s mom knew her song was ending  Through Sydney’s perseverance, and her mother’s loving care, Sydney made it through Christmas.  But shortly after that the difficult decision was made to send Sydney to the Bridge,

She arrived with a purpose.  I made her recite the pledge, and there were hundreds of dogs waiting to greet her, but she told me she had something to do.  She needed to find a new pup for her mom before she did anything else.  

Smartie offered to show Sydney how to search for pups for her parents and he went with her.  Smartie reported back to me that there was no need for him to go.  After her first trip Sydney knew how to slip in and out of pup’s dreams, and knew which questions to ask and which answers she needed.

From there she went into her dad’s dreams and whispered to him.  There was a dog, just two weeks old, named Toula, who would be perfect for Sydney’s parents.  Toula would not make her mom forget about Sydney, but Toula would help heal the rawness in her mom’s heart and begin to make good memories, on that Sydney and her dad agreed.  

Sydney accomplished all this her first day.  She still needed to be fitted for wings, learn to fly, and how to perform all other important angels duties.

She accomplished more her first day at the Bridge then many dogs do in a year.

That is Sydney, never putting herself first.  She is going to make an excellent angel.  

Tails from Rainbow Bridge: Leo's Mission Accomplished

I woke up to find Leo curled up on the foot of my bed.  I softly jumped down, so I didn’t wake him.  I opened the blinds.  Everything at Rainbow Bridge was fresh and shiny for the New Year.  I walked over to my pantry and removed several strips of my finest bacon strips.  I began cooking them in my flat skillet.  Soon my cottage filled with the smell of freshly cooked bacon.  

I set up two plates, and two big glasses of milk.  The scent of bacon stirred Leo.  He yawned, looked around, then saw me by the table.  He jumped down, ran to me, and hugged me as he danced in a circle.  “They said it was time, and then I found him, they said it was time, and then I found him,” he repeated until we danced so much I got dizzy.

“Who agreed to what and who did you find?” I asked.  I knew the answer, but I wanted him to stop spinning.  Chows have trouble talking and spinning.

Leo stopped spinning.  “Foley, I have the most fantastic news,” he said, baring his teeth, his smile wider than it had been since he arrived at the Bridge.  He began talking then stopped.  “Is that bacon?” he asked.

I told him the plates was for him.  He sat in one of my chairs and began chewing on a strip.  I prodded him to tell me his story.

“Oh, right.  It’s my parents; they are finally ready for a new dog.  I have spent so much ghost time with them.  My poor mom always has tears in her eyes.  My dad sits on the deck looking at the spot where I used to lie.  I kept going into their dreams telling them it was time; they were ready, there was a little Chow out there waiting for them.  They would agree in their dreams, but by morning they were saying they weren’t ready again.  But I kept popping into the dreams, and soon I built up enough residual dream memories that they realized they were ready for a new pup.”  

He took a big drink of milk then ate another piece of bacon.    

“I looked at all the new chows, and I found the perfect one.  I then went back into my parent's dreams.  Once our parents decide to accept a new dog that is very susceptible to suggestions for which dog is the right dog.  I whispered where they could find this special boy and they remembered!  They contacted the person, and here is a picture of the little guy.

“Isn’t he cute.  His name is Harvest Moon by my parents are going to call him Harvey.  She should be with my parents this weekend.  Everyone is so excited.  Especially Harvey.”

“That is great,” I said, getting down and hugging him again.  “And now you are going to be able to spend more time with us here.”

“Oh no,” Leo said.  “I am going to have to spend more ghost time with Harvey than ever.  He needs to know the right way to snuggle with Mommy and to walk with Daddy, and to be Mommy’s Muse, and to keep daddy company, and to, and to…..

I looked at Leo.  He had fallen asleep on the table with a strip of bacon in his mouth.  I got a blanket and covered him.  He had done good work and he deserved a nice rest.

My heart beat with excitement as I cleaned up breakfast.  Little Harvest Moon has a new home with the best family ever.  

This is shaping up to be a very good New year.  

Wanted: One Griffon Toucher

Wanted:  One Griffon Toucher.

I, River Song, am in need of a Griffon toucher.  This is a person who would, when needed, touch, rub, scratch or hold me.

The toucher needs not work after midnight.  That is bed time.  When it is bed time, I have two humans I can lie against if it I want to be touched.  Sometimes there is so much human touch I move to the center of the bed where I am untouched.  Even a dog who loves touching like me has to say “OK, enough with the touching,” at some point.

The toucher would need to come to my house at 7:00 AM.  We rarely get up that early, but it does happen.  If we are not up, you can make yourself breakfast, watch TV, and do whatever finger exercises you need to do to prepare for your day of touching.

At some point, we will get out of bed.  I don’t know why we get out of bed.   I would be in bed all day if I could.  I am like Grampa Joe from Willie Wonka.  He was in bed all day, and he was glad.  Then one day selfish Charlie drags him out of bed and makes him go to the freaking chocolate factory where he got really bad gas and had to burp himself down because it was a kid’s movie and he wasn’t allowed to fart.  Then Charlie ends up being given the Chocolate Factory because, for some unexplained reason, Willie wants to retire at 35, which should have been a clue that running a Chocolate Factory is no box of chocolates, and now poor Grampa Joe is running the factory because they don’t allow a nine-year-old to do that, he has Trump on his butt because the Oompa Loompas are illegal immigrants and he only gets three hours of bedtime a night.  So never get out of bed  

Sorry.  It seems like I went off on a tangent again.  I do that.  I hope that does not discourage you from being a toucher.

When we get up, and mommy is making breakfast, and daddy is showering, I need to be touched.  This touching will go on through their breakfast, then stop while I am eating, because I don’t like to be touched while I am eating, and will continue for the rest of the day when I am not on one of my parents’ laps or being touched by one of them.  Your job description is if, at any point during the day, you see me not being touched, to touch me, and to stop when I am touched by one of my parents again.

(Notes:  No kissing involved unless I initiate it.  Since this job involves so much touching you will have to obtain an HR waiver before working with me.)

If you are interested in the job, please state your wishes in the comment section.  My assistant Pocket Dog will be in touch with you.

Thank you from one severely under touched Griffon.

Wordless Wednesday

Beat This Caption

Where the hell is that damn kid?

Pups of the Week: Buddy Boy and Luca

Buddy Boy Smith

Occasionally there is the perfect match between dog and parent. Buddy Boy Smith and his mom were the perfect combination of unconditional love and devotion.

I keep tabs on my human friends via Facebook.  His mom posted frequently.  Her favorite subject was how her big Rotti/Lab Buddy Boy.  We could tell by her sweet words, and the legion of pictures she posted, her love for Buddy Boy.  When we looked in Buddy’s deep brown eyes, we saw the love for his mom in her brown eyes.

But we worried too.  Newfoundlands are not known for their long lives, and Buddy was getting older.  We dreaded the inevitable post that Buddy was showing signs of slowing down.

We first saw one in the fall.  We prayed hard; we sent Buddy strength, but that heartbeat rule that I have written about habitually worked against Buddy.  On Christmas day Buddy came to Rainbow Bridge, under heavy clouds of his mom’s, and their friend’s tears.

Buddy did not arrive quietly.  Even the hardiest Yorkie cannot contain a distraught Newfoundland determined to run back to his mom.  It was one of the hardest crossings we have endured.  It took all of Buddy’s friends to understand he could not go back to his beloved mom’s side. Finally, Buddy laid down in a puddle of her tears licking them.

I sat next to him.  A Yorkie does not desert a friend in need.  He finally arose, and nodded, accepting his fate,   Scooby had designed beautiful wings for him.  Ladybug made sure they fit perfectly.  Smoochy taught him how to fly to the moon and back.  Tommy Tunes took him on a varmint hunt.  

It is winter in Northeastern Canada so it will be several months before Buddy can visit his mom as a butterfly or other pretty flying creature, but Leo taught him how to fly into the sun, and become a ghost so that he can sit with his mom.  He is working on his energy.  It takes a lot of physical exertion to ghost.  But he is becoming stronger.

And he learned how to visit his mom in her dreams, which helps him with missing her, but since dreams are often wiped away by the morning light, they are not helping his mom.

Buddy Boy is getting settled.  He is beyond the need for prayers.  But we think his mom is going to need plenty to get through the heartbreak of losing her soul mate.  Everyone gets a lot of new prayers on New Year’s Day.  If you can, send some Buddy Boy’s mom’s way.

Luca

It was a busy week at Rainbow Bridge.  First Buddy Boy arrived and then Luca.  I was shocked to see my beautiful friend from Argentina coming up Enzo’s escalator.  He had not been sick, there had been no prayers for him, but he too ran out of heartbeats with little notice.

When I began the Tanner Brigade site, Luca was right with me from day one.  He was the one who suggested that we have a birthday group and parties, and started other groups as well.  He was a constant presence in our lives.  We loved him like a brother.

There are freedoms that we dogs have come to take for granted:  The freedom of a good house, of food, of loving parents.  And there is the Freedom to Bark.  But some countries don’t share these freedoms, and Luca’s beloved Argentina became one of those countries.

For years after that, we rarely heard from Luca.  Anything that was written could be read by someone in the government, and that could lead to trouble for Luca’s parents.   Eventually, as is always true with human governments, those restrictions were lifted, and Luca could communicate more openly with us, although he no longer had the Freedom to Bark that we had.  I can not foretell if having our freedom to bark restricted is in our past, or in our future, but Luca taught me never to take it for granted.

He too arrived under clouds of tears. Frankly, it is sadder when a dog arrives with no tears.  Luca realized his fate and was greeted by hundreds of old friends.  Clint built a fire and Luca’s friends gathered around.  He told them story after story, and soon everyone was howling with laughter.    He grinned ear to ear, his Freedom to Bark had returned.

He learned how to ghost, and was back by his mom’s side, and even though a New Year is upon us, it is summer in Argentina, and there are lots of pretty flying creatures to slip into and visit his mom and his brother Junior.

I was hoping that, having two friends arrive so close together, would mean that I would not would not see any soon.  But after Luca’s campfire had been extinguished I turned and saw another friend crossing the Bridge.