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Thursday, March 17, 2011

In Memoriam...

Of our Golden Girl, Miss Daisy... 


"If I have any beliefs about immortality, 
it is that certain dogs I have known will go to heaven,
and very very few persons."
                                                                                                     James Thurber


Miss Daisy came to live with us on December 8, 2002.  She was a rescue dog, so we don't know her real age, but thought she was around 5 when we got her.   When we brought her home, Dan took her in the backyard with him while he read his paper and smoked his cigar.  She walked around, sniffed a bit here and there, then decided she was home and laid down next to his chair.
This was there routine every weekend until we moved to Mammoth....


The following day, Dan went to work and Daisy and I stayed home.  I needed to run some errands so I put her outside and took off.  When I got home, Daisy was not in the yard.  The gate was open, and she was gone.  I walked the neighborhood calling her name, and asking neighbors and workers if they'd seen a Golden Retriever...several times I was told..."oh...there was one about 30 minutes ago running that way..."  I looked and looked and couldn't find her.  I went home and called Dan...he came home early and on the way stopped at the Pasadena Humane Society to see if she was there, watched for any sign of her having been hurt or killed on the main boulevard near our home, came home and he and I went searching again.  
It happened to be my birthday that day and we had plans to go to dinner.  Needless to say, we were depressed and not particularly interested in going out...Dan was at the computer and asked me to look at whatever it was he was looking at.  As I was standing next to him he said "did you hear that?"  to which I replied "no I didn't".    Dan said he thought he heard a bark.  We went to the front door, opened it, and there she was...sitting on the front porch, wiggling...excited to be home...she walked right in and never left again.  I guess she checked out the neighborhood and figured it was a good place and she'd like to stay.



Shortly after we got our Calico Kitty Sadie...she discovered that Daisy was just a big fluffy pillow...



Daisy helping me with my Easter Duck story...


Miss Daisy was very philanthropic and helped out at the pet clinic in 
South Pasadena...


We knew when we moved up here to Mammoth that this would be a one way move for her.  We figure that she was somewhere between 13 and 14 when we moved here and she was beginning to wind down.



 In November, we thought that we were going to lose her.  We took her to the vet and she had exploratory surgery.  The doctor was hoping that she had a tumor on her spleen as goldens often do, but instead, he found cancer in her liver.   He closed her back up and advised us to take her home to say our good byes...he anticipated that she had anywhere from a few days, to a couple of months.




"Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole."
Roger Caras



Daisy's favorite spot in the late afternoon...
waiting at the top of the stairs for her Pop to come home...



"If you can look at a dog and not feel vicarious excitement and affection, 
you must be a cat."
Author Unknown



Miss Daisy blessed us with more time than the doctor thought.  
As Dan's friend Dennis Bevan says at these times...Miss Daisy made her journey to Montana 
 March 16, 2011.
Every extra day she was with us was a gift.  

Daisy will be sorely missed...


Thank you to Dr. Talbot and the wonderful staff at Bishop Veterinary Hospital for taking such great care of Miss Daisy during this time of her life.

34 comments:

  1. Steve and I are so glad that we got to meet Miss Daisy. She really was a wonderful Golden. We know what you're going through. My heart's heavier today. This is a beautiful tribute to your girl, Kathy.

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  2. Oh - so very very sorry to hear of your loss. What a gorgeous,patient and beautiful soul she is!

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  3. Thank you Diane...I know you know how special Goldens are!

    Thank you Lady Fi...she was indeed...

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  4. We all love Daisy! She will be greatly missed... xoxo

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  5. Oh K! I'm so sorry to hear the news about Miss Daisy. It would be nice if dogs could accompany us forever, alas, they just have to be carried in our hearts.

    If Miss Daisy could have verbalized I am sure she would thank you and Dan for providing such a wonderful life.

    I guess this is why yesterday afternoon, I saw a golden like Miss Daisy, hanging her head out of the window of an SUV, just enjoying her spot.

    May Miss Daisy's memory always be for a blessing and may she be frolicking away!

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  6. This is a sweet tribute, Kathy. I don't know if I'd be able to do the same. I know you felt blessed by every extra minute you had with your Daisy girl. love to you and Dan, and those pillow-hogging cats.

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  7. Thank you Trish...yes I envision her frolicking in the fields or hanging her head out a car window...(they MUST have cars in doggie heaven!)

    Thank you Petrea...it took me all day to put this together...I had to stop and breathe many times...

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  8. as I always say at moments like this...breathe in, breathe out, repeat as necessary.

    lucky for you K, you get to carry her memory around with you forever.

    I am SURE they have cars in heaven, except, of course, I suspect some of the pups are DRIVING them, even without benefit of thumbs!

    Am quite sure Miss Daisy is gallivanting around, learning the lay of the land much as she did when y'all moved to Mammoth. I can see her smile as she runs and explores!

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  9. Oh, what a story. What a life, what people, what a dog. Good by, dear Daisy. I'm honored to say you sat by my chair one evening. Say Hi to Bru, he always loved a true lady and will look after you. Don't worry, I'll keep checking up on your folks.

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  10. Thank you Hiker...she was an exceptional dog...I'm sure she and Bru have met and are the best of friends by now!

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  11. Daisy, we loved you sweet girl.
    V

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  12. «Louis» understands how you will miss Miss Daisy.
    We can become so attached to our pets. This makes «Louis» remember his pet dachshund, Oscar, who developed horrible back problems and had to be put down.

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  13. Virginia...Daisy was so easy to love, because she loved everyone so generously...

    Thank you Louis...

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  14. Judy - So CaliforniaMarch 17, 2011 at 11:55 PM

    Kathy - I am so sorry for you and Dan. Glad that I had the chance to meet sweet Miss Daisy and share some lovin' with her when Virginia was here. Don't worry - my Dad is there and I know he's taking care of all our dear, sweet pets until we get there. Sending hugs to you.

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  15. I am so sorry to hear that Daisy is no longer around, you must be so sad. I have to put my two dogs in kennels for 2 months while we moved to a rented house and I keep feeling sick about it as I will miss them so much they are so much part of my life. From what you wrote it sounds like Daisy had a great life.

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  16. I think she did Justine...
    I'm so sorry that you have to be without your dogs for so long...I hope you can visit them!!! We were lucky moving up here to Mammoth...our landlord told me just recently that they actually built this house so that they could bring their dogs up here with them when they came up to ski...not enough hotels that allowed dogs!!!

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  17. Sorry for your loss. Daisy looks and sounds like she was a wonderful companion. It's nice you have so many photos of her. (I found you via Virginia at Birmingham Daily Photo.)

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  18. Thank you so much for visiting and commenting SRQ!
    Miss Daisy was indeed a wonderful companion...she went with me on all of my photographic forays...she is sorely missed.

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  19. K, I have tears in my eyes... who could not. I cannot imagine what it took for you to put this together. We love our pets like children (more sometimes) and they love us unconditionally... It is hard to let them go but she left knowing your love and devotion.

    Thinking about you and D.

    Big hugs,
    Genie

    I have been gone all week and just catching up... sorry to be so late.

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  20. Thank you Genie...and yes...it was hard to put this together...all day as a matter of fact...with lot's of pauses....

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  21. Thank you for sharing the beautiful tribute to Daisy with us.

    I'm so sorry for your tremendous loss.

    May light perpetual shine upon her.

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  22. Thank you Dinah...she was our beloved golden girl...

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  23. Wow, she will be with you forever.
    What a nice dog and a real friend you had!
    Thanks for sharing this post with us fellow bloggers.

    Gun / Stavanger /Norway.

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  24. Thank you Gunn...she was indeed a very special dog...

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  25. Well, now I am crying. I am very sorry for your loss. It is very hard to lose a dog. I am very sorry and sad.

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  26. Thank you Margaret...she was a sweetie...I've shed buckets of tears since last week...

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  27. Thanks for this wonderful post. I left a comment for you at Post Your Dog. Same right here. Ah... you blessed each other along the way. Lucky pup. Lucky people.

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  28. Definitely lucky people Suzanne!!!

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  29. I just saw your comment over at Margaret's blog. I didn't know Daisy had passed. I'm so, so sorry. What a beautiful tribute to her. I'm all choked up now. And the photo and quote with the cat, well, that just made me laugh. You gave her a wonderful life, and she enriched yours. As Suzanne said, you blessed each other.

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  30. thank you so much Susan...I know you know how hard it is to lose one's precious pooch...even though you still have your precious Tommy, you know the love shared and what would be lost in his passing. Thank you again for sharing your comments...

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  31. What a lvoely tribute to your Miss Daisy! Goldens are the best dogs and I just love them. Your Daisy reminds me of my old dog also a Golden named Daisy. You can see a post I did included my Daisy. http://justnaturephotosfromeileen.blogspot.com/2011/02/goldie-girl-and-some-memories.html

    My hubby and I always think of and miss our old dogs, we love them so much.

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  32. I love that you had a golden named Daisy too!!! Goldens are definitely the best dogs!!! They have the most wonderful dispositions!!! And you can't beat their smiles!!!

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