Annie

[ghostjmf]

Oh, AnnieCam. I can be here very infrequently these days, & did not want to be here to read this.

You were & are certainly very well loved (even by a few tangential board-friends you never even met!).

Your saga is heroic & you lived it with grace, style, & sanguine brown-houndness. RIP, or maybe RIF (Rest In Frolic, a better fate for good dogs).

[gsabc]

I'm just now catching up, too. I am so sorry, Judy and the rest of the family, two- or four-legged. Annie had a wonderful family and a full life, and knew she was loved every day. May she rest in peace and still play with the other pets across the Rainbow Bridge forever.

[scarlet235]

I'm so sorry - it's so hard to lose a beloved friend and companion.

[Bruce the Wonder Cat]

In case anyone was wondering, all dogs do NOT go to Heaven: only the best ones. Annie came by yesterday and breezed right through the gate (they check you out VERY CAREFULLY; they do not want any riff-raff here), and is having a grand old time. I showed her some neat stuff to sniff at, and she was very appreciative.

She has not had much of a chance to chase squirrels (like I said, they do not want any riff-raff here), but if any squirrel ever does make it, she should not have any problems at all-- she is not limping or anything.

I was going to let her use my laptop to say 'Rowlf' (or whatever it is dogs say), but she is kind of busy right now: Mr. Mozart is giving her some tips about ways to spice up Guinefort (something about 'counterpoint,' whatever that is, in one of the choruses). Maybe later.

It was nice to see her, but I guess some of you will be missing her. But you know, we never really leave: as long as you remember us, we will always be with you.

Except for that jackass Wintergreen. I've forgiven him for ripping off my nuts (we do a lot of forgiving here), but 'forgiving' does not make it right.

[Catfish]

Just when I think the last tear is shed. And this post induced both kinds.

In case anyone was wondering, all dogs do NOT go to Heaven: only the best ones. Annie came by yesterday and breezed right through the gate (they check you out VERY CAREFULLY; they do not want any riff-raff here), and is having a grand old time. I showed her some neat stuff to sniff at, and she was very appreciative.

She has not had much of a chance to chase squirrels (like I said, they do not want any riff-raff here), but if any squirrel ever does make it, she should not have any problems at all-- she is not limping or anything.

I was going to let her use my laptop to say 'Rowlf' (or whatever it is dogs say), but she is kind of busy right now: Mr. Mozart is giving her some tips about ways to spice up Guinefort (something about 'counterpoint,' whatever that is, in one of the choruses). Maybe later.

It was nice to see her, but I guess some of you will be missing her. But you know, we never really leave: as long as you remember us, we will always be with you.

Except for that jackass Wintergreen. I've forgiven him for ripping off my nuts (we do a lot of forgiving here), but 'forgiving' does not make it right.

[silvercamaro]

I was going to let her use my laptop to say 'Rowlf' (or whatever it is dogs say), but she is kind of busy right now: Mr. Mozart is giving her some tips about ways to spice up Guinefort (something about 'counterpoint,' whatever that is, in one of the choruses). Maybe later.

Bruce, the thought of Annie meeting Mr. Mozart makes me smile! Because she once read a salacious web site -- the Classical Enquirer, or something like that -- that offered some unkind remarks about his character, she was afraid that he might not make it into heaven. I am very happy for her sake (and his, and eventually mine) that forgiveness is such an important part of the admissions process.

You said there weren't many squirrels up there. How about mice? Have you been able to conduct some good chases up there? Also, if Annie's legs have been fixed to perfection, wasn't it possible for you to, um, grow a pair?

[trevor_macfee]

Catching up and emerging from my usual residence in lurkerdom to post my condolences. I know my dogs (and birds and lizard, but especially the dogs) are members of our family and that their eventual demise will be quite painful.

And I wanted to offer this excerpt from "The Great Divorce" by C. S. Lewis (who was convinced we'd be reunited with our pets in heaven), where the visitor to heaven expresses surprise to his guide that there are pets there. The guide's responses speak to the powerful love that is shared between pets and their companions:

"And how... but hullo! What are all these animals? A cat — two cats — dozens of cats. And all those dogs... why, I can't count them. And the birds. And the horses."

"They are her beasts."

"Did she keep a sort of zoo? I mean, this is a bit too much."

"Every beast and bird that came near her had its place in her love. In her they became themselves. And now the abundance of life she has in Christ from the Father flows over into them."

I looked at my teacher in amazement.

"Yes," he said. "It is like when you throw a stone into a pool, and the concentric waves spread out further and further. Who knows where it will end? Redeemed humanity is still young, it has hardly come to its full strength. But already there is joy enough in the little finger of a great saint such as yonder lady to waken all the dead things of the universe into life."

[mellytu74]

Bruce, the thought of Annie meeting Mr. Mozart makes me smile! Because she once read a salacious web site -- the Classical Enquirer, or something like that --

Wouldn't that be a Saliericious web site?

[flockofseagulls104]

I'd like to add my condolences. My sister also lost her beloved pet Guiness this week. Guiness was a gentle giant Bull Mastiff. I hope Annie and Guiness get to meet up there.

[silvercamaro]

I'd like to add my condolences. My sister also lost her beloved pet Guiness this week. Guiness was a gentle giant Bull Mastiff. I hope Annie and Guiness get to meet up there.

Oh, I do, too! Annie has a soft spot in her heart for mastiffs. Some time back, when she lost the skin on her back (the week before we met the Mrs. Dr. Surgeon who helped it grow back,) she was at the vet's in misery. I think she wanted to die that day -- until a wonderful mastiff started peeking around the corner of the cage to look at her. Pretty soon, she was peeking back. Her head came up, her ears perked flirtaciously, and she regained the will to stay alive for years longer.

My heart goes out to your sister.

[SportsFan68]

I'm sorry about the loss of your friend, Flock. I'll bet he was a big huggable doll.

[flockofseagulls104]

I'm sorry about the loss of your friend, Flock. I'll bet he was a big huggable doll.

I didn't hug him that much. He liked to slime people. But he was a good dog.

[Kazoo65]

This isn't what I wanted to see when I came home from vacation yesterday. I was hoping Annie would get better like she did before.

I'll miss her annual birthday messages (how she remembered everyone's birthday is amazing to me).

She was a great dog.

[mrkelley23]

Dang -- even Kazoo is making me cry in this thread. Wish I wasn't such an easy crier.

[DevilKitty100]

Dang -- even Kazoo is making me cry in this thread. Wish I wasn't such an easy crier.

Me, too. I've cried more this week than I have in a looooooong time.