Good-bye

My sweet friend died today. She was diagnosed with bone cancer on November 10, and was in great pain, even on narcotic pain pills. Bone caner is a very painful and rapidly progressing cancer. So it is bitter-sweet to say good-bye.

For the past 12 years, she has been an almost constant companion. She was my first therapist, even before I knew I needed one. She knew when I just needed to sit and cry, and would sit quietly with me; wipe away my tears. No flowery words. No suggestions on how to put things right. Just quiet comfort. Total understanding.

We went on many walks and outings together; backpacking, hiking, snowshoeing, and camping. She was very excited about almost everything, to the point of being obnoxious. But that was one of her endearing qualities.

She was picky about those she let get close to her, and I feel blessed to have been one of those, because once she let you in, she loved deeply and was fiercely loyal no matter what.

One time on a backpack trip, we were on the top of a mountain. Down one side was a long, broad snow field. The easy way down. :) She started going first, but as soon as I sat down, I took off, sliding out of control on the snow. I barreled right into her and kept going, with her sliding just as out of control right behind me. Before we knew it, we were at the bottom of the snow field, both a little dazed with what just happened. :)

She loved the snow but didn't particularly like being wet.

She was a companion, a headache, comic relief and a great friend. She was my sweet puppy, Harley.

Rest in peace now, sweet girl.

Harley
June 1997 - November 2009

Brand new puppy

Harley and my sister, Brenda

Portrait time

Fall, 1997. See how good she is learning to sit?

Harley and her favorite Pooh squeeze toy

Fall, 1997

Harley spending the summer with me at Brighton Girls' Camp. Summer, 1998.

Hanging out with a friend, who dubbed her "bunny-breath" because she caught a rabbit and wouldn't let us catch her to free the poor thing.

Playing in the snow! :) Winter, 1998

So happy to have this fun white stuff to play in.

Backpacking Trip, July 2001. She carried her own food.
She's slowly loosing her cute tan mottling
and becoming more and more black.

Top of the mountain

Erratic bumslide down the mountain

The cute drive home

In your face to say "hi"

Snowshoeing, Dec. 2001. She loved to break trail...for a little while.
Then she preferred to walk on the back of someone's snowshoes.

Harley and her friend, enjoying some snow time.

Winter, 2003



Meeting her new future roommate, Winter 2003

The future roommate isn't too happy about this situation.

Meeting another roommate (a leopard gecko) a year later. Fall 2004

So enthralled in this new little thing.

Everyone is just so curious with this new addition.

A new look. 2005

Sniffing everything she can get her nose on.

Waiting patiently for a birthday treat.

She approves. And is turning a little gray in the face.

One of her favorite places to be...chewing on a new bone. Christmas 2008.

Harley's handiwork in repeated escapes from the backyard. Each time we re-enforced and blocked the hole, she moved the rocks, bricks and wood, and created a bigger hole.

But...foiled at last. Summer 2009.

After discovering her cancer, she is finally allowed to sleep on the couch
without being shooed off. I just wanted her close to me. November, 2009.

Relaxing on the couch.

Sweet Harley.

Photo A Day - July 7

I missed two days there. Some days just slip by. Swine Flu has entered the house - not me, but my roomie's teenage daughter. She is miserable.

I spent about an hour in the heat yesterday pulling weeds. It was actually quite therapeutic. After many, many attempts at keeping Harley within the back yard, I finally broke down and bought some lumber to screw together in the most vulnerable fence spots. Then I discovered that my drill had been stolen. Grrr. I have a new drill now, and the fence work is slated for a bit later today. If I am aware enough, I get some before and after pics to share.

But for today, and to make up for the past two days, here are a few moments in time to share:

This Black-headed Grosbeak visited my friends and I a few weeks ago during our weekend getaway.

T-Spoon. She was lost for a couple of days right after we got back from out camping trip. She isn't an outside kitty, so we were very worried about her. But she found her way home, and is now just as happy and content as always.

Photo A Day - July 3

I got to work feeling very grumpy today. Then I learned my dog had another one of her "accidents". I don't thinks it's an accident anymore. Now I think she's just plain stubborn.

Anyway, not long after I arrived at work, felt grumpy, and nearly decided to just forget the whole day, I decided to make an effort to feel better by taking a little walk.

I just learned we have a couple of fledgling Great Horned Owls on our Visitor Center trail. I had to see if I could find them. Just so you don't die from anticipation, I didn't find them. But I did see many other fun little glimpses of life out there.

Here are a few of my favorites:




After the hike, though, I found a wonderful little gem of a picture. I think, today, this wins my vote for favorites:

Harley

I haven't had a good bird walk in quite a while. Frankly, I can't muster the energy to get up and go anywhere.

About a week and a half ago my dog decided she no longer liked the backyard. At all. Not to visit, not to do her business in, not to stay in for extended periods of time. But of course a dog has needs, and so she took care of those needs on the living room carpet. That first episode resulted in the rental of a carpet cleaner and me taking a mental health day off work. But it didn't stop there. A few more living room potty breaks have occurred. We now insist Harley go outside, no matter how stubbornly she refuses.

But if we leave her out there one minute too long, she is bent on escaping. So also last week sometime, she found a way to pry the fence open, and has been seen many times running around the neighborhood. We put a camera out there one day to see just exactly how she was doing it. It was quite clever actually. She's a very persistent dog.

We reinforced the fence several times, each time thinking we had done the job, only to look out the front window a bit later to see her running around. So last night we adjusted things again, and so far it seems to have done the trick. We'll see.

So today I think I need to take my camera and bins on a walk somewhere. Maybe I'll take Harley with me, too. But she is getting older can't go very long - she turns 12 this month. So I'll also schedule a vet appointment for her.