Beat This Capton

I don't know about you but since mom and dad have been home all day I barely have the privacy to lick myself.

Monday Question

With the virus foremost in everyone mind's, we want to know if anyone in your family or extended family has to work and if anyone you know has got the virus.  If you have any stories please share them.

Pocket:  We have been lucky.  Neither of my parents has to work, although working helps with some bills, there are many more suffering worse.  Everyone in our family, and our extended families, are not working through the crises.  We have not heard of anyone getting sick that we know.  We pray it continues that way

Peabody Crosses Rainbow Bridge

I don’t know if my good friend Peabody ever had an easy day during his twelve years as a mortal dog.  I am sure he lived happily and peacefully in his early years, but during the past few, it seems that our friend had fought off the dementors trying to claim him for the immortal life every day so he could stay with his mom.

Peabody had a myriad of illnesses.  He has been on prednisone for four years and was suffering from the side effects of his needed medication.  He had trouble standing and had to be held up when he got baths. He had frequent bouts of diarrhea and vomiting.  He suffered from terrible allergies and arthritis. He even was hospitalized for licking antifreeze. If there was a medical problem that could occur, it did to Peabody.  

No matter what was thrown at him, Peabody put his head down and studied himself for the fight.  He was undefeated up to last week. That is the problem when you spend your life constantly fighting diseases.  When you win, the game keeps going on, but as soon as you lose, it is game over.  

Peabody’s final battle was against the dog flu.  He had terrible tummy problems with bloody diarrhea.  He woke his mom up at night; When she took him outside, he passed nothing but blood.  Blood is the source of our power to fight illnesses, and if you lose it, you don’t have enough strength to fight.  He also had no appetite. The vet prescribed some medicine, but the disease had too strong a hold, and on Sunday night, Peabody gave up his struggle and arrived at the Bridge.

You would think if someone who had fought illnesses so long passed, it would not be shocking, but all Peabody’s Doggyspace friends were surprised to learn he was crossing the Bridge.  He had been undefeated so long that losing didn’t seem possible. He was like the Undertaker at Wrestlemania. But, in the end, even the great ones go down for a three count.

Doxie, who had preceded her brother to the Bridge by several years, was the first dog to greet Peabody when he crossed over.  Doxie gave him a long welcoming hug. Peabody moved gingerly. It had been so long since he had walked without pain that he forgot what it was like to do so.   It took him five minutes of walking, stretching, and rolling until he understood he was back to feeling like a young dog. He gave out a little yip of joy.

The happiness he felt was tempered by the knowledge that he had finally lost a battle, and that meant he would not be his mom’s constant companion, which broke both their hearts.  Doxie took him to visit his mom in her dreams, but the sorrow is so strong in her heart that it is going to be a long time before she can recognize her babies’ presence in her dreams.  

Peabody has been an inspiration to any dogfighting to be healthy.  He fought several illnesses without ever complaining. He took his medicine and suffered the side effect stoically.  Since his mom adopted him, he only cared about her and would put up with anything to be with her until the last cell in his body could not take it anymore, and he passed.

The mortals around the world mourned the passing of another irreplaceable heart dog.  The clouds filled with the tears shed by humans upon their learning that Peabody had passed over, rained on us for hours.  Doxie and Peabody swore to walk the road of grief with their mom. They knew it would be a long walk, but they hoped their mom would know, if only for a few footfalls, that they were with her. 

Peabody’s mom let no expense stand in the way of her taking care of him.  She devoted her life to him as he did to her. Now, his sister Doxie has to take on the burden of a grieving mom herself, but she is more than up to the task.

In this time of people worrying about themselves, let’s not forget to save a prayer for Peabody’s mom that she senses him and knows she will never be alone.

Bo and Terry For For a Walk

Bo lay in the sun, gently breathing.  He had been at the Bridge for almost ten years.  This was his preferred spot. He ventured into our society, to welcome friends when they arrived, and to spend time with Sandy, his more social brother, who joined him at the Bridge three years ago.  But, mostly, Bo lay in the sun, waiting.



Bo had two parents, Lea and Terry.  He was close to his dad. Terry greatly missed Bo when he went to the Bridge.  When he took ill, Bo left his sunny spot and flew prayers up the mountain for Terry to recover.  Bo knew his dad was quickly running out of heartbeats, but it was still his duty to make sure his mom and dad had as much time together as possible.



Bo was worried about his parents. He missed his dad with all his heart, but he did not want to be with him yet.  It is more traumatic for a human to pass over than a dog. It can take them a long time to recover. Since they live such long lives, and the careless way humans breed, they leave a more loved one behind than they have to wait for them.

Sunday was a beautiful day at the Bridge.  I appreciate the peacefulness more now than ever since the mortal world is in a state of constant turmoil.  Bo was lying in his sun puddle when he heard a familiar footfall coming towards him.

Bo looked up and saw a figure in the distance.  He stood and wagged his tail. The person approaching him looked younger than the man he knew, but the smell was the same.  Bo slowly walked towards the man, and when he was sure, ran to him and jumped up, putting his paws on the man’s chest. Bo’s tail wagged so quickly it almost lifted him off the ground.  The man bent down, and Bo gave him a long face bath.  

The man gave Bo a long scratch like he was touching something precious that had been long lost.  Bo felt a teardrop on his black fur. There is so much that can pass between a dog and his human without words.  Bo leaned into his dad and took a deep breath, satisfying a craving that had gone unsated for a decade. They were sedentary so long, Bo leaning on his dad, his dad’s hand on Bo’s chest, that they could have been mistaken for a statue.  

The man slowly stood.  He asked Bo if he wanted to for a walk.  Bo’s eyes filled with tears. But, before they began their journey together, Bo ran to his sleeping place and came back with a collar and leash.  His dad thought it was strange, because there was nothing to fear now, and no reason for them to be tethered together, but Bo wanted to feel that reassuring tug on his neck, something that said: “you are not alone, I am with you now.”  The man went down on one knee and slipped the collar over Bo’s head.

They walked towards the sunset together, moving as one, enjoying finally having time together.  After a mile, Sandy joined them, racing around and barking. When they rested, they would wait for that day that they would all be together, and pray the day is far off.

Pocket and River Song Become Social Distancing Dogs

Like Pocket, I love having my parents home.  I have only been left alone for a couple of hours this week.  It has saved me a lot of energy trying to keep my mom from leaving the house by hiding on the porch or grabbing on to her leg and making her drag me.  Luckily, we all still get out of the house.

Weather permitting, and despite the stay at home order, we still take daily walks. We are not rebels.  We just need to get outside before the humans kill one another. Our park has wide streets and little traffic, so even if someone else is outside walking, they are easily avoided, and if they do come towards us, that is where my and Pocket’s training comes in.  

My parents did not know that Pocket, and I was secretly taking classes to help in this kind of scenario.  When we practiced, our parents, who were unaware that we are doing homework, tried to stop us.

Pocket and I are officially social distance dogs.  We were inspired by our friend Freddie Bear whose mom has an immune deficiency.  He blocks anyone who gets too close to his mom. We are not big enough to physically block people invading our parents’ personal space so we had to find another way.  We have to act so obnoxiously no one wants to come near us.  

My parents have many neighbors in their seventies and eighties.  You would think none of them would be outside, but there are still some stumbling around.  To protect my parents, and the seniors, as soon as we see people, we start barking loudly, and we don’t stop until we can’t see them, any longer thereby ensuring that the proper distance is kept between us.

While many in this country were unprepared for this outbreak we have been readying for it for years by barking at everything, we see.  Even if we see it from the kitchen window we bark at it because it could be coming to our house. Momma thought that we were barking for attention, but that was just our cover.  We were barking them away. 

My parents still shush and tell us to be quiet because they have yet to grasp the important service we are providing.  I don’t want them to get sick, but I know if they went outside without us, one of these infected older adults would stumble over to them and give them a wet kiss, probably to thank them for leaving the obnoxious dogs at home.  

All dogs should start protecting their parents' social distancing by practicing their barking right now and keep doing it all the time at anything, so you are ready when someone breaks the six-foot rule.  Your parents might get angry at you now, but they will thank you later. 

Their nerves will also be worked down to the nub, and they will have terrible headaches, but they will have achieved splendid isolation. 

Wordless Wednesday

Beat This Caption

George was terrified when he was startled by Steve who once again had forgotten social distancing.