Moving on- Celebrating a Life

As many of you know my dog Patches life ended this past Friday, September 27^th. He was 11 plus years and in the last few months aged very quickly from what turned out to be cancer. All and all we would have to say he had a great life and really up until the last a very healthy one. Here is “The story of Patches”…One day this little frumpy puppy came bounding over to us while I was walking my old dog Hershel up the street at my parents house. Now he was kind of a funny looking guy with giant paws and short hair of all different colors, not at all “beautiful” looking. He started walking with us and then followed us home. After awhile he would wonder back up the street…he was staying under the deck with the neighbors lab who had puppies that were soon to be given away. This became a routine until n he gave the mother dog away, too, so now this puppy was alone and came down to our house to settle under our bushes in front of the house.  Dad really didn’t want him and would shoe him away, but he would always come back. I started taking care of him and secretly want to keep him…there was something very special about this funny looking guy who I did find handsome in some way. I thought it was nice that he was a smaller dog, the size of a cockier and with the short hair, it was great since all my dogs had been long haired, which is more up keep.  Everyone said he would grow into his paws, but I thought oh, that is just the way he does, not want to believe he would become a big dog. Winter came and he still lived under the bushes in the front of the house and when I returned from my grad classes at Piedmont he would come out to greet me, the ever faithful puppy.  As the days turned cold and wet, my Dad finally agreed to let him come in the house, but that I really needed to find him a home. In my heart I knew he already had one, but would say oh, sure.  He had started to grow into his big paws and his fur grew long and the spotty colors blended into a beautiful coat and his mussel grew longer. He lost his puppy look and turned into a very handsome dog. Dad grew use to having him around and stopped asking when I was going to find him a new home. When the school year ended and I got a teaching job in Florida so move my two dogs who became beach dogs playing daily at the dog beach near St. Pete.  Much to my surprise Patches and I came back to the place we first meet and it has become his final resting place. I’m so glad Patch found mes, where ever he came from I still wonder about sometimes. What I do know was he was a great dog and filled with love and joy. We sure miss his healthy self, but like very living thing age and poor health will over take us at some point. I was blessed to have him for as long as I did.

I would like to say a special grateful thank you to all my friends and family for your loving thoughts, hugs and support. He ashes are now in the front yard by the peace pole where he spent his last night. I added another painted pole that I had done a few years back with a painting of him and me at Duke Creek Falls.