My blocks are done and in the mail. Bad photos I know. Just don't have the sun out to get better ones. Colors are pretty washed out. They really are much more vibrant. Jane gets to pick one for herself for holding the swap. That's why there are 13 instead of 12.
Our Elder Statesman. The third one of the clan to leave us this year. He was my heart dog. He has gone to see his first father who is waiting for him I am sure. Sam E like all our clan was a rescue. His "father" had passed away and the woman of the house did not want Sam E. He must have been very loved by his father as he grieved terribly. He grieved and was scared and he started biting. He was kept in a kennel for 4 months. He probably wondered what was happening and where was his Dad. The noise scared him....so he bit. Until ... we found him and took him home to join the clan. He loved to go for walks! He wanted to be near you and to have his ears scritched. He did not like to be held but loved to snuggle with me on the chair. He was not vicious at all. In fact...he was a big baby. If he got frightened or the other dogs seemed to boisterous he would run and hide behind my legs and cry. He was really a gentle soul. Up until last year he would always stand up and dance for his treats. He loved turkey and popcorn! He was prone to ear infections for the first couple years and would tilt his head down for you to put the meds in them. It's like he knew you were helping to make it better. Sam E had a love for some cheap little fuzzy bones we had gotten. He would gather them like they were his babies and lick then as if to clean them. When all the dogs got new ones he would watch patiently until one was abandoned and would quickly run and retrieve it until he had them all. What a good daddy he would have been.
We almost lost Sam E a year ago. He had become very ill and would not eat. He was so weak that I made an appointment to help him to the bridge. I sat with him and told him if he wanted to go then it was okay but if he didn't then he would have to let me know. That night he ate a half a teaspoon of baby food. And then another and another. Needless to say we canceled the appointment. He needed the meds to help his heart and he was doing well until recently. He could no longer make it up the stairs, he was loosing weight and he had a mass that grew rapidly in his stomach. We kept him comfortable and he got all his favorite treats. I'm thankful for that extra year we had with him. This time he told me it was time to go. This morning he earned his wings.
