Shout’s happiest family road trip from a few years back
-photo by dj
Dear Friends and Readers,
So we lost our SHOUT last night. Our darling big blonde beautiful dog has been having issues for the past few months — in the end it was a tired heart that took her away. A mix of German Shepard, Golden Retriever and Saint Bernard, she personified the best of each breed. Also she was gorgeous. As many of you have already experienced, it is one thing to know there is a 10 year shelf life and another to live it. Shout was such a perpetual puppy that somehow I thought she might beat those odds. Given to me after a friend’s death and sustaining me after the death of the friendship that brought her to me — Shout was my best mate. As parents passed on and children moved out, she was my constant companion through the past decade of these very normal yet heart wrenching life events. While in her mind she remained a tiny lap dog always happy for a cuddle — she also possessed a great spirit for adventure. One could not reach for the car keys without tripping over her as she raced to get out of the house and into the van, ready for whatever trip was in store.
Luckily we had just busted out of town last week on an epic journey to upstate New York to collect a very big window at a very small price for the now exposed upstairs hideaway at the lodge. Spontaneous road trips are our forte — and SHOUT naturally assumes she is part of the away team. Because the passenger side seat is really hers, she deigns to share it with me as long as a) I constantly pet her and b) roll down the window so she can stick her snout out to whiff the air and let the breeze blow through her hair. Because this is our norm, it was funny to see a trucker pull along side to grab a happy snap — I guess we did look a bit ridiculous as she does take up most of the seat.
Beyond the joy ride, it was her joie de vivre that I shall miss the most. As someone struggling to stay out of the rabbit hole of depression, Shout would coax me back to light with her constant comforting presence. Truly my shadow, she was content to do and be — or not — just as long as she could be right by my side. Hard to feel alone in the world with a friend like that. Harder to not feel lost as she slips behind the curtain with the rest of family and friends already on the other side.
SHOUT remains our mascot of Dovetail Lodge as so much of her energy is in all the work we’ve done — her muddy paw prints are in every room of the house and all of the mud puddles outside. Getting in the van to get over here to get something done was one of her favorite things to do. Her motivation will keep R and myself going as we both learn how to navigate without her along for the ride.