Tails from Rainbow Bridge: Summer's Here and the Time is Right for Angel Visits

It is summer in the Northern Hemisphere and it gives us angels a chance to fly down and visit our loved ones.  It is too early in the year for us to assume the bodies of our favorites, butterflies, so we have to find less beautiful bodies to occupy.  Lately I have been using moths.  They are similar to butterflies although nowhere near as pretty and if I don’t concentrate hard to maintain the moth’s body I end up crashing into a lightbulb.

Us angels can take over almost any body but some are more difficult than others.  Birds are almost impossible.  They refuse to give up control of their bodies and when even when we get control they take over again and scare the crap out of us by dive bombing toward the ground.

We do have rules about what bodies we will inhabit.  The first one is nothing that bites because we hate anything that causes pain and the second one is no buzzing because after a while that buzzing will drive you crazy.  I think that is why houseflies always seem to linger on your arm just long enough to be smushed, because they want the buzzing to end.

We don’t do dirty bugs like cockroaches, and have no use for ants.  We very much prefer flying creatures to crawling ones but if you see something with a touch of grace to it, like a grasshopper or praying mantis look again because it could be an angel.  

My friend Nigel was  courageous enough to assume the body of a spider.  This is especially brave because spiders are mean creatures and don’t like anyone taking over their bodies.  But Nigel saw one that had a smile on it’s back in his Mom’s yard and knew she would love to see a smiling face so he negotiated with the spider to momentarily borrow his spider form so he could smile at his Mom.  The spider did and his Mom took a picture of Nigel the Smiling Spider.

I am going to be avoiding the spiders myself and sticking to moths and butterflies.  But if you see a butterfly, moth, grasshopper or other majestic insect be extra nice to them because they are very likely an angel coming to visit you.

And please no stepping or slapping.  Being squished sucks.

January 11, 2015 Pup of the week: Prayers Needed

          I have only one New Year’s resolution for 2015.  Unfortunately it is one I have no control over:  I want to do less swearing in of friends who crossed over the River of Life this year than I did last year.  But I have been inundated with prayers for pups and parents in the first ten days of this year and the only way to make my resolution a reality is to get even more prayers.  I would gladly spend all day flying prayers up to the Big Guy if I didn’t have to swear in any pups or parents this year.  So what we need is prayers.  Lots and lots of prayers.  Especially for the following pups and parents.

          I don’t know how many of my DS friends remember Jake the Shih Tzu.  He has not been very active on the site lately but his Mom is a good friend of ours on The Facebook.  She recently took sick and the doctors began to run all sorts of tests on her and the results were very troubling.  She has a tumor on her spine and is starting chemotherapy.  She has a very long and difficult road in front of her and is going to need every single prayer and good thought so please keep her in your thoughts and prayers.  Just as a parent should never outlive a child a dog should never outlive a parent.  If you would like to send her a card you can send Bentley or Pokey a PM for the address. 

          Speaking of Pokey he is going to be 14 this year and he is slowing down like all older dogs do and needs some prayers to keep the old legs and heart pumping.  And his Mom has had more healthy problems than the population of a small Polynesian island.  Back problems, arm problems, leg problems.  If it supports weight and bends it is causing her pain.  Please says prayers for many more healthy days for Pokey and for his Mom’s pain to ease so she can live the normal life that has eluded her for so long.

          We have been asking for prayers for Nigel for some time now as he still is suffering from a bad heart so please keep them going.  This past week his Dad David spent several days in the hospital with terrible back pain and a high fever that baffled his doctors.  Nigel’s poor Mom was nurse maid to her husband then running home to be nurse maid to Nigel.  As of this writing Nigel’s Dad is back home.  The doctors have determined he has a viral infection of unknown origin and both he and Nigel need some prayers to get, and stay healthy.

          Another pup with heart problems is Paco our friend from Italy.  Each time he goes to the vet we receive news that his heart is growing weaker.  But Paco is a fighter who desperately wants to stay with his Mom, especially at this time when her own Mom is very ill and needs our prayers.  So please included sweet Paco and his Grandmom in your prayers.

          Our friend Max’s grandmom needs some prayers for good health too.  Some of you may remember her as Ladybug’s Mom.  We aren’t sure of her specific medical issues but we know they are serious and any help she can get will be greatly appreciated.

          Our friends Chelsea and Ashton’s Mom took a fall on the stairs this week.  She is from Texas and as you know everything is bigger in Texas so it must have been a bad fall.  Please send prayers her way.   

          Our good friend, the Triple T’s Mom, Aunt Linda, is trying to take positive steps to improve her health by stopping smoking.  This is one of the most difficult tests a human can undergo.  She’s determined to make it but she is going to need lots of positive prayers and pup energy.

          Also needing prayers is Daisy Mae’s Mom who is currently quite sick and is on oxygen.  We don’t know the specifics of her disease but know that she too needs all the prayers and positing pup energy she can get to get over this illness.

          And we still have plenty of pups in need of prayer whose parents are healthy, but very worried about their beloved babies including Smoochy, who is still suffering from MRSA and now has an ear infection, MacDougal and Ju Ju who are still undergoing tests and Sandy who is recovering from a stroke.  I am looking for lots of prayers for all of them.

          Please keep the prayers coming in.  I would rather be flying prayers up the mountain for 1,000 dogs and humans than swear in a new member of the Bridge.

Nigel is Our October 5, 2014 Pup of the Week

I had two more friends join me this past week: Duke and Lorelei.  I would love to write flowing tributes to them both, every dog who crosses the Bridge deserves flowing tributes, but I don’t know their past well enough to do them justice.  Now I promise to look after them and get to know them.

Now I have a special message to my friend Nigel:  Sorry Nigel, you are not welcome here.  (Psst, Nigel:  You are really welcome here.  You have hundreds of friends who would comfort you, teach you what to do , and enjoy your company, but, since we want you to stay with your Mom and Dad as long as possible I am pretending that we don’t want you here so you aren’t sent here.)

We became aware of the possibility of Nigel coming here earlier this week.  He spent a night with labored breathing.  His parents rushed Nigel to his vet:  Dr Mike.  Right away Dr. Mike said Nigel had heart and lung problems.  He also said it sounded like he had an extra heartbeat.  Since Nigel is so sweet we thought it possible he had two hearts but apparently this is not possible.

Dr Mike told Nigel’s parents that he had congestive heart failure which is not a good thing.  The Cardio vet said he wanted to do an echogram and an x-ray because Nigel has a larger than normal heart (which we knew, but again doesn’t seem to be a good thing.)  He also had fluid around his heart and in his lungs.  Nigel got an injection of lasix and some lasix pills.  If the fluid around his heart goes down he can be put on normal heart medication.  He needed to be kept quiet and calm for a few days. And he needed plenty of prayers too.

Those he got, by the barrell full, and we began flying them up the mountain.  But then I split our forces.  Half of us flew prayers up the mountain while the rest of us painted signs, put them on posts, and then marched at the base of the Big Guy’s mansion stating the there was no room for Nigel at The Bridge; Nigel Snores Too Loudly; Bulldogs are unfairly represented at the Bridge; Keep Nigel Out!

Of course none of us felt this way.  But we were desperate.  If we could convince the Big Guy that Nigel would cause a disruption at the Bridge maybe he would leave him on the mortal side, as long as none of us let slip that we actually loved him and would welcome him with open wings.  It was a desperate ploy, but with all the friends that have joined us recently, we had the right to be desperate.

Only the mortal side of the Bridge the drugs and the prayers, and maybe the protests, seemed to be working.  Nigel’s breathing was not as heavy and he was acting like he felt better.  There is an upcoming appointment with a cardio vet on Monday so keep those prayers coming.

And we will keep our protests going so Nigel does not come here for a long time.  (And don’t worry, the Big Guy doesn’t read my blog posts, he can’t handle a little criticism.)

When that day comes, hopefully a long, long time from now Nigel, we will all hug you and kiss you, but until then the “Keep Out Nigel” sign stays above the Bridge.