Tails From Rainbow Bridge: A Matter of Perspective

There are 99 problems in the United States but dogs ain’t one.  If dogs got organized, they could take over the country while the humans argued with each other.  But who wants an entire country to manage?  That is going to be hard to do when our main goals are running, playing, sleeping and just staring into space.  Even with doing all of that I think we could do a better job.

We could certainly do better than the city council of Eugene Oregon who has proposed to bar dogs from downtown Eugene.  Apparently, the biggest problem in Eugene is not the dufus hipsters and hippies who infest their city streets but dogs.  I thought hipsters and hippies were kind and accepting.  Maybe the only thing they want on the streets that have not bathed in two weeks is themselves.

The motion is expected to fail because there are many homeless people with dogs in Eugene, and there are people who live in the city who own dogs.  How would they be able to tell which dogs were downtown Eugene dwellers, or visitors, except that the dwellers would be walked by people who looked like Sonny without Cher?

To the citizens of Eugene, I would like to state that you are number 53 on the problems the United States face.

Number 86 on this list are the people who protested the Dakota Access Pipeline.  I am all for their protest.  Firstly, I don’t like any construction; it is noisy, interrupts naps and bothers my wildlife friends.   Also, I don’t like anything that can cause harm to good people.  Their protest is not why they are number 86.

They made a list because when the government momentarily paused drilling for the pipeline, and the protestors left, at least two dogs were left behind.  When the government moved back in to prepare for drilling again, they found the two dogs had added four puppies, because what else are you going to do at a protest site alone for months?

Now, it is very possible that the dogs, who are much smarter than humans, knew that the government would start destroying nature to build the pipeline again, and decided on their own to stay and keep protesting, because, as much as we love humans, we know how duplicitous they can be.  Or these devoted dogs who lived in the tents with the protesters for months were considered as disposable as the tents themselves.  Ironically the dogs were saved by the very people the protesters were trying to keep out.

On either side of the political spectrum, whether they are buttoned-down conservatives or freewheeling hipsters, whether they be those committed to saving tribal land and the environment, or those looking to rob the earth of its treasures, there are some who love and appreciate dogs, and others that don’t.

I am not interested in the politics.  I am only interested in those who care about dogs.

Who Stole My Winter by River Song

Having been born in Florida, I have been told by my fellow Massachusetts dogs that I am a snow wimp.  When I am brought outside to do my business, and if there is snow or ice on the ground, it clumps in my paws or wets my fur, and my systems shut down:  Nothing is going in, and nothing is coming out.  That is why the Big Guy created pee pads.  I am more than happy to go back inside, and pee like the civilized humans do.

If I were an only dog I would have been very happy with my winter strategy but I have a sister and with siblings comes teasing.  It does not make it easier when my sister is twice my age and half my size.  I am young, scrappy and hungry just like my country but I am not peeing in the snow.

Tiny Pocket, pushing double digits in age, stands on the ice while shivering and she lets out a small stream of urine and is told what a good girl she is.  Hey, I’m the good girl in this house!  I was going to have to conquer my fear of frost.

The next morning it was bitter cold.  There were a few inches of shoveled grass, bent over, and frozen.  Pocket peed, then I followed.  My legs shook, my heart was racing, and I had to concentrate very hard, but I did it.  I went in the house, got a treat, and had confirmed what I already knew.  I was a good girl!

The next morning I was ready to show that I had become a true white walker.  We got up and went outside.  Someone had stolen the ice and most of the snow!  It had been replaced by water.  The sun was warm; there were little flowers poking out of the ground.  How long had we been asleep?  Pocket peed right away. She asked me if I was going too.  Hey!  I just began peeing on the snow; I don’t pee when it’s wet.  My human stood, holding the leash, waiting.  Geesh!   I stepped on the squishy ground.  I got into position and got the beautiful fur on my lower portion wet.  I did it, but I didn’t feel like a good girl.  I felt like a dirty girl.

The good news?  The melting formed a moat around our house, so I got to use the pee pads the rest of the day.  The next day was warmer and drier.  While I love the warm weather, I was disappointed that I couldn’t show that I had conquered my snow phobia.

It turned colder a few days later after we got in several good walks and lots of sniffs, but I don’t think my ice peeing will be appreciated now.  

I have all summer to work on peeing outside in the cold.

And to wonder who stole my winter.

Wednesday Movie: Waiting for Momma

Beat This Caption

One more pose!  How about this for a pose!  I have spent all afternoon posing for damn pictures while you say we are not quite right.  Poor Leroy passed out an hour ago.  So this is it.  The last picture.  Instagram this!  I'm going to get a treat.

Noel is our February 26, 2016 Pup of the Week

It is somber when a new angel crosses Rainbow Bridge accompanied by clouds of tears from all the souls who loved the pup.  We can feel their pain in our hearts crashing into us like soundwaves.

But there is something even sadder.  That is when there are no tears because the new Angel never knew love on the mortal side.  These are the dogs we rally around; these are the dogs who arrive at the Bridge knowing it is their first forever home, and there are lots of humans here ready to let know the love only people can give.

When Noel arrived, there was a small cloud of tears.  The raindrops came from our friend Jacques, Jolie and Francois’ mom who worked at the shelter Noel called home, and from the other shelter workers.  He arrived there after being diagnosed with bladder cancer at his foster home.  Noel was brought back to the shelter.  Francois’ mom and the other workers thought Noel’s time had come earlier in the month, but Noel rallied back.   But this week Noel had no more rallies, and he passed over into the immortal life.

Noel arrived with the same thoughts that so many shelters dogs think.  He was convinced he would have no family or friends waiting for him.  When he reached the top of the cliff looking over the River of Life, he found out how wrong he was.    

There were dozens of friends waiting for Noel.  After I gave him the oath, the dogs all swarmed him, hugging him, welcoming him home, and telling him that all his suffering was now over.

Noel was confused.  “Who are all you dogs?  How do you know me?” he asked.

I spoke up.  “All of us are angel friends of Jacques, Jolie, and Francois.  Their mom told us about you, and how much she loved you.   We know that you are a very special boy who needs to be shown all the love we have.” 

He looked around, confused.  “But I am just a homeless dog,” he said.

“Not anymore,” I told him.  “We have many parents who are willing to take you in:  Miss Vicki, Miss Jackie, Miss Gina, Miss Dodie and more.  They have big houses filled with dogs, and they all want you to live with them.  Most of these dogs are like you, they never found love on the mortal side, but now that you are on the immortal side you are going to find nothing but love.”

He was stunned.  “Am I in heaven?” he asked.

I put my paw on his shoulder.  “There are many names for this place.  You can call it that.  It is a place where the unrescued dog finds forever homes, forever love, and their pain stops forever.”

Smartie, a rescued dog, walked up to Noel and asked him if he wanted to run up and down the hills and through the meadows.  Noel said he had never done it before.

“It’s easy,” Smartie said.  “Just follow.”

Smartie took off followed by a smiling Noel who barked with joy.  He was happy, he was free, and he was loved.

He ran towards the setting sun where his happily ever after awaited.

Tails From Rainbow Bridge: Odie's First Bridge Birthday

Birthday parties are very hard at Rainbow Bridge because, unless you have moved on to the land of Happily Ever After where all loved ones are reunited, there is always someone missing from the party, and for we dogs that someone is our parents.

And first birthdays at the Bridge are even harder because, for your entire existence, birthdays have meant celebrating with your parents, and now it means something else entirely.

That is why we try to make first birthdays at the Bridge so exciting for our friends.  I know there are more immortal dogs than mortal dogs, and you must think that means we have a lot of birthday parties.  We do.  But don’t judge us.  We have an eternity to kill.

This week was Odie’s first birthday at the Bridge.  He celebrated 14 with his family and his mom always put her heart into each of her babies’ parties.  To keep Odie from thinking about her we needed something special.

I put my minions to work.  We set up a table with a seat for Odie at the head.  The table started at a crook in the river and it extended for miles over hills and down in deep valleys.  Then we had deliveries of what all Angels want on their first birthdays: What they could not consume on the mortal said:  Kegs of beer, garlic, onion, many different kinds of chocolate, baked bread, pizza, and lots of cake.

We also asked lots of his mortal friends to attend in their dreams.  My sisters Pocket and River, Odie’s brothers Baron and Max, Reese and Kole, and many more friends sat at the table surrounded by angels.

Scooby kept Odie busy while the party was being assembled.   When it was time he put a blindfold on Odie, and, with the help of his brother Rusty, Odie was flown to the table, where everyone stood for miles along the white table and howled happy birthday then applauded.   When everyone quieted Scooby swallowed the cake and sheepishly grinned at his brother.

Then came the plates and plates of food, both the forbidden and the bidden, steaks, pizzas, chicken, turkey, fish, ever some kibble just for the old days.  We ate, drank, toasted our friend, talked about our mortal lives and laughed long and hard.  Odie was given another cake and despite being sorely tempted Scooby didn’t eat it.

Then came the dancing.  Pocket took Odie by the paw and, despite there being three feet difference is size while standing on their back legs, they danced beautifully.  Then we all danced, romped, ran and sang songs together until we became tired and snuggled under the silent fireworks.  

We know Odie was very happy with his party, and we do hope it helped him forget that he missed his parents for a short amount of time.  It helps us forget our parents too.

I hope the large amount of ice we had shipped in did not cause snow anywhere, and the raucous party did not set off waves of thunder, but when this happens know it is a sign of how hard your Angels are working to forget how much they miss you.

The Time Between the Walks by Pocket

Peace, quiet, and normalcy that is all I ask, but those simple desires elude me in a world that is increasingly chaotic.

We had gone weeks without a proper walk.  Then, on a stunningly beautiful Wednesday, we got a nice walk.  I was looking forward to many more.

Then the skies grew dark, the air chilled, by morning a hard, cold, rain fell, which turned to snow.  Midway through the storm, Daddy trekked out to shovel it, but he was overmatched by the weight of the snow and length of the driveway.  Luckily, our neighbor across the street owns a plow.  Daddy offered to pay the neighbor to plow the driveway, but the man insisted on doing it for free.  A rare good break, and a tremendous act of friendship.

On Sunday, when Daddy was working, it snowed some more.  It took him twice as long to get home.  This was very worrisome.  He shoveled the wet snow three more times.  This was worrisome as well.

Every inch of green was buried under more than a foot of snow.  The driveways and walkways were frozen.  There was nary a place to poop or pee.  The wind howled and nipped at our faces.  We tried to find a place to quickly pee that wouldn’t immediately freeze trapping us on the ground.  Walking was impossible.

On a Monday night, Daddy started coughing.  It began slowly, but after a couple of days, he was whoomping and woofing, wheezing and wobbling, gagging and hacking.  And spraying.  His coughs twisted his body into strange positions, shook the bed, or chair, where he sat, and was thundering.

This went on for days.  It was very disheartening.  I couldn’t go outside because of the snow and ice; I couldn’t relax inside because of the hacking and coughing.  My sleep kept getting interrupted by Daddy’s rushing out of bed to relieve his congestion.

By the weekend the snow, and the congestion were melting.  When River and I went out, we found expanding green space to do our business.  We no longer stood trembling on icy paws.  

On Monday the temperature warmed into the 50’s.  Daddy put us on our leashes, and we walked for the first time in two weeks.  There were still snowbanks, and intermittent hacking coughs, but the sun was shining brighter, and I could see spring slowly rising in the East.

And it smelled like hope.