“You wanna eat?’ I said loudly to my deaf dog.
Sydney, the 14-year-old shepherd, jumped a little, smiled, and turned a circle.
“You wanna eat, girl?” I asked enthusiastically.
“ROO-ROO-ROO” she replied.
“Then let’s go eat!” I said. And then a second later regretted saying. She took my queue and bolted toward the steps leading up to our house. Steps that just a few years ago she would bound up barely touching. Only this time as she started up the second step, she collapsed upon them with her chin smacking the brick step above her.
I ran over and helped her up the rest of the way, because she wanted nothing to do with being carried. At the top I checked her balance to make sure she was ok, and then she turned and smiled and said, “ROO-ROO-ROO.”
And I fed her.
***
christine weber
Jan 2, 2014
Jim,
I was on the “wayback machine” a little bit ago and was smiling at pictures of Chase… also 14 now… and also falling up the stairs more often these days. I came to your site because I wanted to tell you about a video of baby Agatha Rose that’s stashed out there… then I saw your post about Sydney. Chase sends hugs.
I wish you & Tina a very very happy new year.
https://web.archive.org/web/20041227131329/http://www.fidocarolina.org/all_doggy_pics/videos/BabyGirl.MPG
Warm regards,
Christine
Jim Mitchem
Jan 2, 2014
Hi Christine – wow, it’s been a long time. Glad to hear you’re still around and that Chase is still kicking too. Unfortunately, that’s not Agatha in that video. I don’t know who that is, but it’s not her. Still, great to hear from you. And I don’t know if you remember Tucker or not, but when he passed a few years back I wrote something for him http://www.obsessedwithconformity.com/418/just-a-dog/. Best wishes for a happy 2014 and beyond.