I have not posted in awhile because I was called away unexpectedly. My younger sister, Julie, became very ill and needed my help at the Outdoor School where she lives in California. During the month of February she is charged with the land care-taking and animal care-taking (2 horses, 5 dogs and a bird), while the owners vacation for 3 weeks. Unfortunately her illness fell right at the beginning of their trip. So I headed down not sure what to expect when I got there. Luckily the roads were clear and the weather was unbelievably spring-like on the drive down. But as soon as I hit the town where she lives, the grey clouds and snowy rain came down. While I was there I was at least able to help a little- making sure that she ate and rested properly while dealing with among other things- a skunk that got into one of the buildings there.
Shortly after I arrived though, I found out the real reason I was there- Bear, a beloved Golden Retriever, became very ill too. He had been suffering from many ailments that comes along with old age, but this was a return of the cancer he has been fighting for the past year. By Sunday night, we realized that this would be the end of his time here with us, and so Julie desperately tried to get a hold of the owners. Finally on Monday morning she spoke with them and it was decided that we would take him to the vet, for what would be his final time. She put the phone to Bear's ear so the owners could say their good-byes to this amazing friend. For the first time in hours, Bear blinked and moaned, to let us know he had heard them. Soon after, Bear took his last breath while my sister held him and we both said our good byes and expressed our love for him. It was one of the most difficult things I've ever witnessed, but I am so glad I was there- for Julie, for Bear and for me.
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