An Update on Sandy the dog...

      As I write this, our thirteen-year old Golden Retriever is sleeping soundly, stretched out on the floor of the doghouse which was built many years ago for our first golden, Freddy. Sandy is our fourth, and maybe our last, Golden. Of all of them, he has been by far the most challenging to raise...and continues to be a challenge even in his last days.

     His eyesight is nearly gone, as is his hearing. All of his teeth were worn down by constantly chewing on the fence around his dog run, trying to find ways of escape. And now, his legs aren't working. He still likes to eat, however! He ate all of his dogfood by licking it out of the dish tonight and probably would have eaten the can if he still could chew.

      In the last 24 hours he managed to crawl or drag himself 1) out of his igloo house and onto the cold, wet, hard cement while it was raining 2) then off the dry rugs & tarp and out of the nice covers I had put over him on the cement  3) and finally sometime during the afternoon managed to get through mud puddles and leaves to the old A-framed house, where he lay shivering until my husband discovered him. We had to put the tarp over the drafty house and cover him again...hoping that he'd be warm enough through the night.
       He is getting increasingly weaker and we know that the end is near. So does his buddy, Tigger the cat, who has been watching over him for several days now. A spectacular double rainbow arching over the mountains to the east of our home encouraged both Al and me yesterday. I hope Sandy saw it!
       This has been a long, difficult process for all of us. It is comforting to know that the Lord is with us and that He understands.
       "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me." Ps. 23:4 NIV