Journey

Eleven!

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Journey

I’m eleven now. I turned eleven on May 8th. It was a big day for me. Special friends from out of town came to celebrate with me, well actually they came to see Mom but I was the star of the party.

Me and Finn got doggie ice cream. We laid on the grass in the back yard and enjoyed every lick. I’m still on restriction because of my torn ACL, but Mom let me have a couple easy romps around the backyard with Finn. I got to bark at the eagles even though I wasn’t allowed to chase them.

While the people were chattering about all sorts of things, I slipped away with Finn for a long overdue conversation. Finn wanted to know if turning eleven was a big deal. I knew eventually he would ask me something like that, and I knew what was on his mind. It was on my mind too, I just never wanted to talk about it.

We dogs don’t dwell on death. We live each day like we have forever. We don’t look at the calendar and think, ‘I’m getting old and I’m going to die soon’. But both Finn and I know that Ash died from cancer when he was ten. He died way too soon and left a hole so big it can never be filled.

It didn’t help that I was awful sick for months and then tore my ACL. There were times when Mom was afraid I wasn’t going to make it. She did everything to keep me going. She never gave up on me, ever.

So many trips to the hospital and urgent care. So many appointments with different vets. I was poked and prodded and hooked up to IVs. I was scanned and X-rayed. They even poked my bladder to extract pee to analyze.

Finn was such a good boy during the dark days. He would settle in close to keep me company. Every time I had to go outside in the middle of the night, he went with me. Sometimes I’d catch him looking at me with tears in his beautiful honey colored eyes. I tried my best to reassure him that I was going to be just fine, but I wasn’t sure I believed that.

Slowly the days got longer and I got better. Spring was coming and the daylight returned. My health improved. I got rid of the horrible gut infection and the stinky UTI. My knee began to heal and I was able to walk longer distances.

One day Mom called me and Finn together. We sat in a circle on the floor and she told us how much she loves us and how proud she is of the way we came through the dark tunnel of illness and injury. Mom told me she is incredibly grateful that I survived my sickness and that I have more good years ahead of me. She told Finn that he is a special soul and his calm presence helped her and me through a really dark time.

After all this serious talk, it was time to celebrate life and each other. Me and Finn got another taste of doggie ice cream. Mom poured something bubbly in a glass and declared all is well at Asherpark and new adventures await us. I like that. Me and Finn are all about adventure!

Journey

 

 

 

 

Finn

A Tender Soul

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Finn

Finn grew quickly into a stocky little bundle of contradictions. He is both bold and timid. He chases rabbits like his wheels are on fire but is afraid to walk on slippery floors. He would launch himself at anyone or anything that tried to hurt me and Mom, but he’s terrified of the lawnmower.

The older Finn gets the more aversions he has. He won’t go into the bathroom because the floor is gray, so he misses all the fun of watching Mom take a shower. If he jumps into the car, he has to have a floor mat to launch from. For some reason he’s freaked out when his paws slip.

The neighbors who live down the road have a couple of ankle-biter mutts that run out and challenge us on our walks. We’re on leashes and they’re free to come as close as they want. Mom carries an airhorn that she honks when they get too close, so they never do us any harm. But Finn hates conflict so he doesn’t want to walk down our driveway anymore.

We love Finn for who he is, for all his quirks, and for his tender soul. Sometimes we call him Dr. Finn. He’s part psychiatrist and part spiritual healer. Finn can read auras. He knows immediately who is kind and trustworthy and who is not. When he was just a pup and still worried about meeting new people, he met a man named Philip who came to the house with friends. Finn walked right up to Philip and sat on his foot. He spent the entire evening leaning against his new friend absorbing the good energy that radiated from Phillip.

Mom had never met Philip before but she sure was curious about him. She explained to Philip that Finn was very choosy about new friends but had obviously taken to him. Phillip said that among other things he was trained as a Reiki Master and perhaps Finn had picked up on his calm energy.

Finn

We asked Finn what he felt sitting next to Phillip. Finn said it was like a warm wave of joy wafting over him. It made him relax and feel safe. Me and Mom still talk about that night, the night we realized that young Finn was already a wise old soul. There are lots more examples of how Finn reads people, especially when people are sick or sad. I’ll tell more about that in future Barks.

 

Journey

Back To Business

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Journey

Well okay, you caught me sleeping on the job, but you need to cut me some slack. I’m nearly eleven and I just came home from a PEMF treatment that always makes me a very sleepy dog. Sometimes I need an extra nap.

Now I have to get back to business and finish the history of my life at Asherpark and how we came to have Finn. Maybe it’s because my birthday is coming up, but I feel like time is slipping away and there are things I need to share. Mostly I want to tell about Finn and what a special dog he is.

In my last Bark I told how terrible it was to lose Ash to cancer. When Ash died it was like somebody turned out the lights. Everything was dark and sad. I was lonely and at loose ends. Mom knew I had to have a companion, a pal that would become my best friend. She promised me she would find just the right dog soul – and she did.

I didn’t know if she was going to bring me a puppy to raise like she did for Ash, or if she was looking for an older, calmer dog. What I knew for certain was that it would be an Aussie. It absolutely had to be an Aussie.

There was a a lot of chatter about who would be the next dog at Asherpark. Mom got all kinds of advice from friends and other Aussie lovers. In the end she went back to where Ash and I were born in Newport, WA. Turns out the lady breeder had a recent litter and Asher’s father was in the lineage. She wanted a boy dog and, of course, the puppy had to be a blue merle. There was only one puppy that met all the requirements and Mom claimed him.

Finn

He was the cutest little pup I’d ever seen. He was dark with lots of deep gray and black. His little eyes were honey colored brown and he had white markings in all the right places. I fell in love with him the minute I saw him.

Finn

He was a shy little guy and stayed close to me for protection and comfort. We went everywhere together. I was the engine and he was my little caboose. It was so much fun raising Finn. We never fought over food or toys. When he showed bad dog manners, I gently corrected him. When he was scared, I showed him how to be brave. Finn has been a blessing to everyone at Asherpark, especially to me. I sure love that silly mutt.

Journey and Finn