Freedom Interrupted

Freedom Interrupted
Late July of 2004- before Hurricane Charley in Punta Gorda, Florida...our new home...

Thursday, February 7, 2013

From Spazz to Tails



The thunder and lightning sent Spazz scurrying for elusive shelter and safety. That was the last night we had together. September 7, 2012.

Anniversaries are for recalling the moments past, and creating memories for the future. Some will generate smiles, laughter, joy- others will bring melancholy, sorrow, tears. 
A mixed bag of emotions now wrap the date of September 8th. The anniversary of our wedding, and the day we let Spazz go to be with Shakey. 
Ever since May 30th, our walks around the block had been a challenge for Spazz and for me. Every few steps  Spazz would turn and look back at the house, as if he expected Shakey to come down the road and join us. Heart breaking for me to see this, I would tell Spazz, "No, he's not coming. It's just you and me now." And it always reminded me of the first few days Shakey was with us, before we found his littermate/companion at the Dog Pound. Shakey sniffed the grounds of the Marina (where he had last seen Spazz,) so aggresively for his brother's scent, I feared he would inhale enough soil into his lungs that he would fill them and die! 
A more pitiful and heart broken animal I had never seen... until now ...    They had been so connected in Spirit, that it was nearly impossible for one to live without the other. And the clock was ticking for Spazz.
On the morning of September 8th, he let me know it was what he wanted. To be with Shakey. So a trip to the Batesville Animal Clinic, revealed via an xray that it indeed was our time to say goodbye.  This little fella was the last heart break I can handle ... really .... my adventures with them have been  PRICELESS .... I miss my walks with them ... and I miss their fierce protection of our home ... and I don't want this kind of hurt again. 
But to end this eulogy on an upbeat note ... the following story will explain that I am not so cold and calloused that I don't want to be around animals... just can't take the pain of connection and Devoted Love going away.  


The Tale of Tails
9: 20 a.m. 12/18/2012          Free to a good home 12 weeks old  
Australian Shepherd   Female     

 11:30 a.m. 12/18/2012                    In  My Kitchen Melbourne,AR

From reading the post on an online yard sale site, @ approximately 9:20 a.m. , to calling the owner, to calling Jordan to confirm he wanted her, to the photo in my kitchen ... less than 2 hours for HEART MELTDOWN to occur.  Bo and I got the privilege of the next 4 weeks of house training, until the date of our journey to New Smyrna Beach, to deliver her to her new Dad , Jordan.
 10:30 a.m.  1/13/2013                       Jordan's House  NSB, FL
This is Tails in her new home in New Smyrna Beach, posing for this picture. (well... not really intentionally posing ...)
 Sometime in late January of 2013 with her new sister  Sadie who is teaching her good canine manners.
Tails is happy to be living with her new dad, Jordan, and her new canine siblings, Sadie and Grub. Sadie is aggressively teaching Tails the correct canine manners, and etiquette. Tails has been a quick student ... ( avoiding the head spinning weighty knockdowns of the earliest days in her new home with Sadie and Grub )
2/3/2013  Photo courtesy of "Uncle Joe"  Grub tolerating Tails presence in his personal space
Grub is a very adorable "big" canine brother, typically tolerant of the younger annoying sibling. For that "cute" look, Grub will lay those large ears down and back for his "Jar Jar Binks" impression and win me over every time! 

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Jake and Maggie say the Blessing too !

Jake and Maggie always wait for their Dad to finish saying the blessing before they dive in to their dinner.  EVEN if it is half time of the Super Bowl Game before they get to eat ... and EVEN if the guests get to eat first !!!