Journey

Día de Muertos

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The end of October and beginning of November is known as Allhallowtide. It is an important time of the year for many people. In the United States it starts with All Hallows Eve or Halloween on October 31st. At Asherpark we don’t like the idea of Halloween where little kids in scary costumes come to the house shouting “Trick or Treat”. Fortunately we live in the country and we’ve only had a couple trick or treaters in my lifetime.

November 1st is Day of the Dead. It’s also known as Día de Muertos in Spanish and Jour des Mort in French. It’s the beginning of my favorite week of the year. The week when maybe, just maybe, we can reach those who have passed into the next world.

November 2nd is recognized in some cultures as All Souls Day. It’s a day dedicated to prayers for the dead and visiting cemeteries. In some faith traditions the attention to the dead continues for a week ending on November 6th.

To us dogs at Asherpark the idea behind Day of the Dead and the week following isn’t creepy or macabre. It’s a joyful time when we remember the people and animals who are no longer with us.

This year Day of the Dead had a more somber feeling. Our best friend Dex died on the day before All Hallows Eve. I like to think that Dex had an easy transition thanks to all the people around the world praying for the dead.

At Asherpark we honor the dead by saying their names and telling stories. Mom said when we say their names it keeps their memory alive in our hearts. Most of the funny stories are about Ash. He was such a great dog. He made everyone laugh and wasn’t afraid to make a fool of himself.

Other stories are more tender. We talk about all the dogs that have come before me and Finn. Jesse, Codie, Ash, Darcy, Jack, Tess, Mama, Shiloh, Nellie. Just saying their names makes us smile.

Me and Finn spent time looking through the BarkingProse archives. We looked at the old pictures and sent happy thoughts to all the dogs of Asherpark. We also spent time thinking about all the people we’ve known and loved who aren’t with us any longer. Mom lit candles and we watched the moon rise and sent our own special prayers to our friends and family who left their bodies behind.

One day me and Finn will leave our bodies behind. I wonder if that will let us run faster. We’re pretty speedy now but imagine if we were all energy and no fur. It’s hard to contemplate but we’re not afraid. Lucky dogs like me and Finn trust that life will turn out just the way it’s supposed to.

 

 

 

Spirit Dogs

From Dex

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Dex

Hey everybody – I’m okay now. I went to sleep and woke up on the other side of the bridge. At first I didn’t know where I was. The sun was shining and I was standing in a field of flowers. One by one dogs came out to greet me. Some of the dogs I recognized, others were just there to welcome me to a new life.

The last few months of my life on earth were hard. I had a tumor that kept getting bigger. It was difficult to breathe and I started limping real bad. My Dad did everything he could to help me. We made lots of trips to the vet. I got a bunch of pills – pills for thyroid, arthritis, pain, and even Chinese herbs to stop bleeding when my tumor leaked. It was kinda tough.

I hated the tumor because it was right under my collar, but the vets agreed I was too old and sick to survive anesthesia, so I just had to live with it.

Everyone told me I was a good boy. I didn’t complain and always did what my people asked of me. I never growled at the vets even when they did strange things to me. I didn’t like the chest X-ray but I didn’t make a fuss.

Eventually my breathing got so bad I couldn’t lie down for long stretches of time. I paced constantly and made loud noises. When I started gasping my Dad knew he couldn’t let me continue to suffer. It was time to let me go.

We were at Asherpark with my friends Journey and Finn. I was always happy to hang out with them. They’re a couple of little trouble makers and I loved to run with them when I was younger and healthier.

It was decided that I would pass on Friday, October 30, 2026. That would be my last day on this earth in my tired body. They have a tradition at Asherpark. When it is time for a dog to transition everybody gets ice cream. My Dad bought us a pint of vanilla ice cream and we had a party.

Ice Cream Party

Dex Enjoying Ice Cream

A wonderful vet named Dr. Ashley came from Compassion4Paws 

She had been to Asherpark nine years ago to help Asher cross over. She was so nice. I liked her right away. She talked with my Dad and helped him understand that my condition would continue to worsen and I could have a medical emergency that would be awful for him and for me.

When the decision had been made to let me go, I lay down in a comfy dog bed. There were all kinds of snacks – dog biscuits, Fritos, and yummy cat food! Everyone was petting me and loving on me. My Dad stayed with me until I fell asleep. The last thing I remember was licking up crumbs of Fritos and then I woke up in a new world.

I had a good life even though it didn’t start out so well. I was in and out of a shelter a couple of times until I got sent to the local prison to learn to be a good dog. The inmates worked with me so I could pass the Canine Good Citizenship test. There were a couple false starts where people took me home then abandoned me.

Then my new family found me and everything turned around. I lived with my Dad for nine years. We had lots of adventures together – I even got to go to Arizona with him. I met Journey and Finn and learned to chase eagles. I’m so grateful for how my life turned out. Thanks Dad, you were always so good to me.

Please don’t worry about me. I’m fine now. I just want to give a shout out to all the people who looked after me and gave me the best life a mutt like me could ever hope for. So long, everybody! I’ll miss you.

 

 

 

 

 

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