Wednesday, May 23, 2012

bird's paw

I received a condolence card in the mail yesterday signed by my vet, Dr. Katheryn Hinkle, and all of her staff at the Animal Hospital of Cotati. On the front of the card was Bird's paw print. I had no idea this was coming and was blindsided by it. One look at the paw and my grief exploded. But having Bird's paw print is a treasure for me. 

Here's my paw print that
the vet sent to my Lady. 


Thursday, May 17, 2012

colleen's video

Just in case you didn't see this - Colleen Powell made a very beautiful and loving video tribute to Bird. Here's the link. Thank you, Colleen.

i'm Home now


It turned out be an early departure this morning. It was time. I flew Home in the arms of my Lady and my OM.  Thank you for giving me my beautiful life. 

 Here I am, just before I flew Home this morning.
Thank you, everyone, for your outpouring of love.

Because I was love.

Here's my Fetching Tags tag. 
Scratch my butt was one 
of my favorite things. 

Here's my beautiful Paco Collar 
with the green jewels that Ana Poe 
picked out just for me, with my 
Scratch My Butt Fetching Tags tag.


My favorite food


I love my Lady and my OM. Thank you for sending them love. 


Wednesday, May 16, 2012

til the wheels fall off, redux

I was reading all your comments and I realized that Blogger tricked me. I had written some other important things, that I don't see now. So, I'm back. One of the important things Blogger swallowed was my flight time.

It is tomorrow, Thursday at 4pm, California time.

And until that very moment, I'll keep living til the wheels fall off. Tonight me and my Lady had cheezburgers, fries and a vanilla shake at In N Out Burger. We stopped there and did the same thing the day she came and got me at the Bad Rap Barn. Yes, it was very delicious.

Here I am slurping up my
vanilla shake.

And just because....

Here I am, asking,
'Are you coming?'

birdy soon flies Home

We went to the vet yesterday. The Lady and OM had a long talk with her about me. The vet listened to my lungs and could tell that I am having to work very hard to move air, and suggested it was time. She told the Lady we could do it then or take a few days. The Lady decided to take a few days.
Here I am, sending you love. 

Last November my Lady wrote a novel titled The Reunion Song. Right before she met me. In the book, the Reunion Song is sung in a place named Home. People and all kinds of animals live there, and they sing this song to help all of us come Home. Someone there is always singing the song. The Lady sang the song to me and now I can hear them singing to help me fly Home. I want you to hear the song too. It goes like this:
‘We are singing the Reunion Song. The Song goes like this: Here we are, we’ve always been here. All are welcome. All are loved. Welcome Home. Welcome. You are loved.  This goes on. This never stops. We are singing now, the Reunion Song.’
Thank you, everyone who helped me. Thank you, my Lady for loving me and giving me my home. Thank you everyone for all your love. And thank you now for helping me fly Home. I will never forget you. I love you. Your Bird. 

Here I am, on my way Home. 

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

how it's going

This morning the Lady told me her dog ears weren't working as good as she wanted and couldn't hear if it was time to schedule my trip home yet, so we have an appointment with the vet this afternoon at 5pm to assess my flight status. 


Yesterday, despite being on my death bed, I managed to have a good dig in the dirt when the Lady wasn't looking.


Here's the hole I dug yesterday
while the Lady wasn't looking.



Today, so far, I've had a good day. For breakfast I had two tins of my favorite food - sardines. After breakfast, I spent time on the porch soaking up the sun. Later the Lady took me out into the yard and the orchard and let me meander through a long, yummy sniff. She even let me eat the cat poo lumps that she usually pulls me away from. 


Here I am soaking up the morning sun. 

I don't smell so good, the odor that wafts from my back end. But you might not either, if you'd been on my sardine diet. I don't care. I don't think the Lady minds too much either. 


Later, back in the house, I climbed up into her lap in the armchair. She cried and I licked her tears. She thinks I don't understand all these code words, that I don't know what's going on. But I know. 



Here I am with my big belly, 
soaking up my Lady from her red fleece.

As you can see, I'm not dead yet, but I'm not very comfortable. We'll see what the vet has to say.  No matter what, I'm happy to have had this sweet life.


Monday, May 14, 2012

just in case

I'll get right to the point. I'm not doing so well. At all. I think I've finally started on that flight path Home. So, just in case, I want to start saying goodbye now, while I can. I have some infections that won't clear up, because my immune system is pretty much offline now. My paws are a wreck. My vet has tried treating my paw infections for bacteria, fungus and yeast and they're not getting better.

I am tired and sleep a lot. Sometimes my Lady gives me a bully stick and I'm not interested.

And the most ironic thing is that I now look fat! After all that starving and dragging around my bag of bones, to end up so puffed up and bloated around the middle, I hardly know what to say. It happened in one week. My belly now looks like I eat five meals a day, with my bowl filled with peanut butter and bacon grease syrup. But I sometimes don't even finish my meal. It's like that.

My Lady has asked me to tell her when it's time to help me fly Home. I'm not there yet. But it feels like soon. I just want everyone to know so it's not a surprise.

I love you. Thank you for making the last part of life so beautiful. I have been the happiest of dogs, loving my Lady, having all the yummy food, sharing my story, and living in the heart of so much love.

I'll write again if I can. This is just in case.

Thank you.
I love you,
Your Bird

Here I am  with my yucky paws, 
my big belly, and my full heart,
sending you love.