A day for good-byes

It was a sad day in Shakerag. Today, we said good-bye to my folk's German Shepherd/ Rottweiler mix, Bailey. She arrived with her sister at Mom and Dad's as a small puppy thirteen years ago. Having been born in the wild to a wild mother, Bailey never allowed any of us to pet her until she was about ten. By then she had arthritis and was in enough pain that she knew she needed Mom and Dad to help her. They did, and she continued to be friendly. The vet who saw her for pain said he had never seen a dog that didn't get over fear of people until old age. He said dogs either got over it as a puppy or never. Bailey was unique. She had been moving slowly for quite a while. Losing a dog never gets easier. It's always a very sad day.

We also had to say good-bye to our favorite local business, Grandmother's Clock. A shop specializing in unique children's books and gifts, it was a well-loved part of our community. Owned and run by a local grandmother, they even had story time and a tree house for good listeners. Unfortunately, there were simply too few of us who appreciated such a special store. The Grandmother of the Clock will still be around, but Stinkerbaby's favorite store won't be. Grandmother's Clock will be missed.

I'm sorry I'm not cheerful this evening. I promise I'll be in a better mood for my next blog post.

Good-bye Bailey and Grandmother's Clock.