. . . SASSY, Shelley DeMerchant's horse who crossed over the Rainbow Bridge in February 2000.
MEMORIES
But what a crowd of memories come back, bringing with them the perfume of fallen days& What delights and glamour, what long hours of effort, discouragements, and secret fears did he not watch over . . .; and with the sight and scent and touch of him, deepen or assuage& How many thousand walks did we not go together, so that we still turn to see if he is following at his padding gait, attentive to the invisible trails. Not the least hard thing to bear when they go from us, these quiet friends, is that they carry away with them so many years of our own lives. Yet, if they find warmth therein, who would grudge them those years that they have so guarded? Nothing else of us can they take to lie upon with outstretched paws, and chin pressed to the ground; and, whatever they take, be sure they have deserved.
-- John Galsworthy
. . . SINEAD HART, Christie Hansen's Mother's dog, who crossed over the Rainbow Bridge in April 2000.
And, beloved master, should the great Master see fit to deprive me of my health or sight, do not turn me away from you. Rather hold me gently in your arms as skilled hands grant me the merciful boon of eternal rest - and I will leave you knowing with the last breath I drew, my fate was ever safest in your hands.
-- Anonymous
. . . RODNEY ARTHUR McARTHUR, June 1, 1985-April 20, 2000. "He kissed me good-bye." Greatly missed by Sally, Ron, Indy & Aireabella Babcock.
I stood by your bed last night, I came to have a peep.
I could see that you were crying, You found it hard to sleep.
I whined to you softly as you brushed away a tear,
"It's me, I haven't left you, I'm well, I'm fine, I'm here."
I was close to you at breakfast, I watched you pour the tea,
You were thinking of the many times your hands reached down to me.
I was with you at the shops today, Your arms were getting sore.
I longed to take your parcels, I wish I could do more.
I was with you at my grave today, You tend it with such care.
I want to reassure you, that I'm not lying there.
I walked with you towards the house, as you fumbled for your key.
I gently put my paw on you, I smiled and said "it's me."
You looked so very tired, and sank into a chair.
I tried so hard to let you know, that I was standing there.
It's possible for me, to be so near you everyday.
To say to you with certainty, "I never went away."
You sat there very quietly, then smiled, I think you knew . . .
in the stillness of that evening, I was very close to you.
The day is over . . . I smile and watch you yawning
and say "goodnight, God bless, I'll see you in the morning."
And when the time is right for you to cross the brief divide,
I'll rush across to greet you and we'll stand, side by side.
I have so many things to show you, there is so much for you to see.
Be patient, live your journey out . . . then come home to be with me.
-- Anonymous
. . . SNOOPY, Vietnamese Pot-Bellied Pig & Airedale Wannabe, who crossed the Bridge on 17 April 2000 and is missed by the entire DeMerchant Pack
. . . CHEECH. Cheech Litz was Angie's "soul mate" and they bonded early on as she basically nursed him from an unopened-eye puppy to Alzheimer's old age. He remained constant in her life even when uprights didn't, when uprights should have. He traveled with her from Germany to Japan, from the East Coast to a Midwest farm. He brought out the best in Angie, and she struggled for months with when to make that final good-bye. It didn't matter that he had grown deaf, that he often became lost five yards from the front door, that he grew confused and incontinent, Angie incarnated the Shakespearean observation: "Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds".
She made her final good-bye, not when Cheech became an inconvenience, but when Cheech's spirit needed release from a very confining jar of clay.
SHE'S JUST MY DOG
She is my other eyes that can see above the clouds;
my other ears that hear above the winds. She is the part
of me that can reach out into the sea.
She has told me a thousand times over that I am
her reason for being; by the way she rests against my leg;
by the way she thumps her tail at my smallest smile;
by the way she shows her hurt when I leave without
taking her.(I think it makes her sick with worry
when she is not along to care for me.)
When I am wrong, she is delighted to forgive
When I am angry, she clowns to make me smile.
When I am happy, she is joy unbounded.
When I am a fool, she ignores it. When I succeed,
she brags.
Without her, I am only another woman, with
her, I am all-powerful.
She is loyalty itself. She has taught me the meaning
of devotion.
With her, I know a secret comfort and a private
peace. She has brought me understanding where before
I was ignorant.
Her head on my knee can heal my human hurts.
Her presence by my side is protection against my
fears of dark and unknown things.
She has promised to wait for me . . . whenever . . .
wherever - in case I need her. And I expect I
will - as I always have.
She is just my dog.
-- Gene Hill
. . . SADIE, June 25, 1993 - March 27, 2001, Golden Retriever greatly missed by Rita Ferrer. "She will be forever running the beaches of her beloved Lake Michigan, sniffing through the woods for stinky stuff to roll in and making angels in the snow. Sadie loved all people and animals that she met. She welcomed her ATRA brothers, Watson (@RB), Waldo & Duke (@RB) and shared her treats and toys with them. Sadie learned to play bitey-face Airedale-style with open mouth and snapping teeth. In games of chase she was able to run closer to the ground and make sharp turns so she could out maneuver their bodyslams. She loved to play. I will miss my Pretty Lady and her Retriever devotion."
HEAVEN'S DOGGY-DOOR
My best friend closed her eyes last night,
The thoughts that scurried through my head,
Today, there was no gentle nudge
But an Angel just appeared to me,
. . . SWEETPEA, beloved "spoiling dog" of AmyMarie & Bob Fornelli
. . . SUGAR, December 1982 - June 20, 2001, who will be missed by Bob Noble and Family.
"Thank you, Sugar, for being such a good friend
and companion for so many years."
. . . SNAP, who crossed the Rainbow Bridge on August 16, 2001 and was the beloved friend and Pointer companion of Dr. Caroline Gilje.
. . . PITA, June 5, 1985-September 25, 2001. Sorely missed by Melanie Findlay: "A seven-pound kitty who could befriend any Airedale, whether he liked it or not."
. . . DAKOTA, beloved Husky who crossed the Rainbow Bridge on September 24, 2001. Missed greatly by Joyce & Ray Wheedon
. . . FANCY, beloved cat who crossed the Rainbow Bridge on September 13, 2001. Missed greatly by Joyce & Ray Wheedon
Continue with OTHERS SO PRECIOUS TO US IN MEMORIAM - PAGE 3
As her head was in my hand.
The Doctors said she was in pain,
And it was hard for her to stand.
As I cradled her in my arms.
Were of her younger, puppy years,
And OH . . . her many charms.
With an intense "I love you gaze",
Only a heart thats filled with tears
Remembering our joy-filled days.
And she said, "You should cry no more,
GOD also loves our canine friends,
SHE's installed a 'doggy-door'"!
-- Jan Cooper, CANINE LIST '95
