Today, I am thankful for T, our precious canine son.
For his love and companionship, for all the joy he gave us, for all the adventures he shared with us, for the honor and privilege of being his mom, I am forever grateful.
Amen.
Tandem
December 18, 1996 - June 29, 2012
What can I say about the best canine dude who ever lived? Here's how his story ended.
June 27, 2012. The Waldo Canyon fire explodes. We watch the flames crest the Front Range foothills behind our home and rush to evacuate as the fire approaches our neighborhood. Steve takes T in the truck; I follow in my Camry.
We rendezvous at CityRock climbing gym in downtown, Colorado Springs. There, our friends from the climbing community, offer us a place to stay. We're grateful for their generosity and compassion. We decide to stay with the "twins," my 19-year old climbing coaches.
The house is the Ivywild neighborhood. It's quiet and peaceful. The large backyard has an enormous apricot tree. Raspberry bushes line the fence.
T is not doing well. He is disoriented and sad in this foreign environment. At 15-1/2, he is struggling to handle the stress of our displacement. His hips are giving out. We carry him from place to place in the house and yard. He isn't eating. We give him tranquilizers, hoping that sleep will revive him.
T struggles so hard to stay with us. I lie with him in the yard, hugging him as I weep. I hate to see him suffer.
June 29, 2012. S and I say good-bye to T.
