Asher

Don’t Know What To Say

by  • 
Ash

Ash

I just read Journey’s first Bark. Wow! I knew that little mutt was special, but she never told me about meeting Tess on the rainbow bridge.

I’m having a hard time putting it all together. It’s like part of Tess came back in Journey’s body, but I can’t figure out what that means.

It kinda makes sense in a way. I asked mom to find me a puppy. My half-brother had conveniently just sired a second family.

One female pup was available because she has the dilution gene like me, so she shouldn’t have pups of her own. Mom made a deal with my half-brother to get one of his puppies.

Fast forward a few weeks and Journey comes to Asherpark. First thing she does is run over to the spot where Tess used to hang out. I was just about to mention how she picked the spot Tess liked, when Journey gets herself a drink from the water bowl.

OMG! It was weird. Journey has the same silly way of drinking water as Tess did. Head bobbing up and down like a horse, splash flying everywhere. What the heck?!

Next thing I notice is Journey is sound asleep on her back with her tiny puppy paws straight up in the air. Seeing that made me shiver. There’s only one dog I’ve ever known who slept on her back like that – Tess.

A few weeks later I see how softly Journey takes a treat from mom. Tess was the only one of us Asherpark mutts with a soft mouth. A person wouldn’t even know Tess had teeth when she took a treat. Mom says hand feeding me is like feeding a piranha.

Journey has her puppy craziness but she also has an old soul. I can tell from how she looks at people and how calm she is around mom.

I’m not sure why Journey hasn’t confided in me about meeting Tess on the bridge. Maybe she thinks it’s no big deal. Maybe she doesn’t realize how wonderful it is.

Journey

Journey

One of these days I hope Journey tells me more about meeting Tess. In the meantime I plan to visit the ravine whenever the coyotes howl. Tess said she’d come and talk to me there and I don’t want to miss her.

 

 

 

Journey

My First Bark

by  • 
Journey

Journey

Excuse me if I look a little disheveled. I was busy playing in the dirt when Ash told me to come post my first Bark.

I know Ash needs help running BarkingProse and I really do want to do my share, but it’s hard to get started.

Ash told me to think about something fun and just tell people about it. He said not all our Barks are serious and I’ll have lots of time to practice.

Maybe sometime I’ll post a silly Bark, but for my introduction I want to talk about Tess.

I was born shortly after Tess died. We passed each other on the rainbow bridge. She had given up her fur to live as a spirit dog. I was leaving the spirit world to take up my new life as a companion dog.

She stopped on her journey to tell me what my life would be like at Asherpark. I listened quietly and tried to remember everything Tess told me. She explained that I could go forward with the soul randomly assigned to me, or she would give me her soul.

Tess

Tess

I had no idea what I should do, so I asked her what she thought. Tess said her death had been really hard on her people and her best friend, Asher. It would bring comfort to her pack at Asherpark if they saw signs of her in me.

I quickly agreed, having no idea what I was getting myself into. It was all so confusing. I wasn’t sure if I was doing the right thing, but Tess was persuasive and I could not say no to her.

Tess said her soul would mingle with my developing soul to form my own identify. She assured me I would be my own soul, but with many of her traits and habits. She said her strong points were her loyalty and her famous nose that was as good as any hound. I would have those traits and a few quirks that she had not polished out during her time at Asherpark.

Tess asked me to stay very still as she slipped her soul into mine. Then it was time for us to part. Tess wished me godspeed and said I’d love the raw meat at Asherpark.

As she disappeared over the far end of the bridge Tess turned and barked, “Tell Ash I will come to him in the ravine.”

I was so exhausted I fell into a deep sleep and didn’t awaken for three weeks, when I was born into the world.

There is more to tell, but it must wait for another time.

 

 

 

 

 

Shiloh

Reflections

by  • 
Shiloh

Shiloh

This has been a hard month for Ash. It was one year ago that he lost his best friend, Tess. I know it’s on his mind even though he can’t bring himself to talk about it.

For months there had been something not quite right with Tess. Mom took her to four different vets but nobody had the answer. When the vets finally figured it out it was too late to save her.

It was hard for all of us when Tess died. She was still a young dog and full of swagger. She and Ash were so close. They used to spend hours sharing secrets and barking at shadows.

Tess and Ash

Tess and Ash

Tess barely had time to say her good-byes before the vet came to our house to help her across the bridge.

Ash was beside himself with grief. Every night for a week he dug under the fence and ran into the ravine where he played as a boy. He said he had to be alone in case Tess wanted to talk to him.

Ash grieved hard for a long time. He was sad and mad and crazy all at the same time. He wouldn’t let mom out of his sight, but then he’d hear the coyotes and run off to the ravine.

One day I heard Ash tell mom he wanted to raise a puppy. He said the pack needed a new soul and he wanted to teach a puppy the way his beloved Aunt Codie taught him.

Ash told mom he was still young enough to put up with a puppy and they could have lots of fun together. Then he burst into tears and told mom how lonely he was without Tess. Two months later we brought the puppy home and Ash isn’t lonely any longer. There’s more to this story, but for now this picture says it all.

Ash and Journey

Ash and Journey