OT A Gentle Dog

Barnaby Cleveland 1993-2005

http://fishskicanoe.tripod.com/geopi...50/barnaby.jpg
A Few Months Ago

http://fishskicanoe.tripod.com/geopics/horiztshirt2.jpg
In Ely 2002.

Honestly, I often thought of Barnaby as dumb. But once and a while he
would pull a prank on Frodo and I swear you'd catch a gleam in his eye
and grin on his face. He certainly was one of the most gentle dogs
I've ever met unless you were a racoon or a mailman. The racoons in
particular changed him from a very placid animal into a ravening
beast, a truly frightening transformation.

But usually he was a "sweety".

He was my son Sam's dog. He came into our lives during a rough spot.
Coming from the pound his age was approximated at 2 years. Love at
first sight is an appropriate term to apply to their first meeting. He
almost invariably slept with Sam and I 'd often glance into Sam's room
and see Sam playing video games with his head pillowed by Barnaby's
large (90lb) body.

The last month it became obvious that he was fading. His appetite
failed. His food changed from dry dog food to wet dog food to human
food to, in the last few days, water, ice cubes and the occasional
popsicle. He was scheduled to go to vet tomorrow. We expected that he
would be given an injection and we'd have to make the sad trip to the
creek where my little springer Fannie was buried 4 years ago. Instead,
last night about 8 Jacci tried to give him an ice cube as he lay on
the floor by this keyboard. He refused. Jacci gave him a small pat and
then sat down in front of the computer. A minute or so later she
turned around and he was gone.

This morning Sam and I loaded him into the van and made the drive to
the creek. We crossed the water and worked, digging, the sandy soil
easily giving way before our shovels. We then returned to the van and
lifted his still body from the back and then waded the stream and laid
him into the earth. Over him went his favorite blanket and over that
the tan sandy soil. A few yards away my Fannie dog's grave lay,
covered with a low layer of moss and grass. Soon Barnaby's will look
the same.

We live in a small house. But tonight it seems too large.


g.c.