Autumn Leaves

 Our beloved Jack joined Alex and Cleo in the arms of the angels yesterday, Tuesday 11/29/22 about 9:45am.  Lap of Love sent a very nice Veterinarian to administer the euthanasia.  It was quiet and serene (punctuated by fits of our sobbing, of course).  Sue Ann reported a change in the light, a 'brightening and goldness' that accompanied his passing.

This morning, I stepped over him in the dark, as he often slept on a blanket by my side of the bed.  I reached down to touch his wooly noggin, only to find the fresh hole in my heart.  It was like a phantom touch on a newly amputated limb.

I went up on the ridge, where he and I used to ascend every other morning or so.  Looking back on San Leandro, the last of the red and gold trees below were going brown.  We saw our hermit friend Martin, and he said: "I'm glad you're alright!", as I hadn't been up there in a while.  "Mostly" I said.  He didn't ask about Jack, so I didn't offer.  I'm going to try to get up that ridge every day, or almost every day during the week to get back in shape, and hopefully clear the gunk out of my head and heart.

Like the old standard Autumn Leaves, I'll always think of Jack when the leaves and the light turns gold.

 We have scheduled Jack's date with the Angels, an in-home euthanasia service called Lap of Love for Tuesday 11.29.22.  This is hard.

All of Thanksgiving weekend, through our anniversary (the day after Thanksgiving), we've been celebrating with Jack, and grieving.  Sue Ann has been pretty blue.  

We went out to Albany Beach on Friday, and told a few of the folks from Oodles of Poodles and Poodles at Play.  A  few surprised us by coming out, and bringing some of Jacks few friends!

Susan brought Walter, Helene brought Sonia, Pam brought Saffron (honorary poodle).  Randi and Silvie, Elizabeth and Abby.  We had a sweet low-key party for Jack on the beach and a walk out the Bulb road.  Saffron was hilariously teasing all the bigger dogs into chasing her.  She's so fast and maneuverable, they never catch her.  Here she is with Jack and his first friend Walter.

As always, I should have taken more pictures, but I seldom do.  You can see how Jack's left eye has been affected by a small tumor on his eyelid.  He now has pancreatitis, Addison's disease, and several little cancers like that on his eyelid.