Ash
I’m sorry. I know it’s been a long time since I last barked. I didn’t mean for two weeks to go by without a DailyBark. But it has been a sad time and my bark went silent.
Mom asked me if I wanted Jack or Tess to bark for me, but I had to do it myself. It just took me a while.
Remember my pals the Labradors – Pepper, Maggi and Libby? They stay with us a lot when their people travel. We were looking forward to them coming out but then Pepper got real sick.
Pepper had been fighting off cancer for a long time and the sickness finally got her. She was real brave about the treatments and never complained.
Pepper kept a good attitude and enjoyed life until the end. On her last weekend she was running on the beach with a big smile on her face.
People cry when one of us mutts leaves this world. Us dogs don’t cry but we get real quiet and we mourn in our own way. When Maggi and Libby realized Pepper wasn’t coming home they looked so lost. Usually they run around a lot in our big yard and make lots of noise. This time they just lay down on their beds.
Everything is different now without Pepper. It used to be that we had two packs. There was the house pack and the visiting Labradors pack. Since Maggi and Libby lost their leader they’ve asked to join the house pack. This week it’s been us five dogs in one pack all following mom around like her private security detail.
Before Pepper died the Labradors were a close pack. You can see from this picture taken by their boss how tight they were. Life goes on but there will always be someone missing for the Labradors.
The Labradors
I know Pepper wouldn’t want us to be sad. She’d want somebody to toss her the ball or take her for a ride. So that’s how we’ll celebrate her life.
Mom’s gonna take us all in the car. We’re gonna drive the country roads with the windows down so we can smell the manure. Pepper will be riding with us in spirit. Here’s to you Pepper!