2013 not so good?

Sam and Harry. Sam died of a heart attack a couple of years ago.

This year has been a real bugger for me so far. I started the year with a cold that became bronchitis. I suffered a tooth abscess which became a root canal. I had to put my dog Harry down. His arthritis got the best of him and he stopped eating and his heart started to fail. I did not want him to suffer further and took him to Dr. Steve at A to Z and had him euthanized. Steve and his wife Diane helped me through the process and made an impossibly hard decision doable.

Yesterday, I went to a memorial service for a fellow band member of my husband's. It was a true celebration of life with lots of laughing through the tears. I want to follow suit with my Harry. Michael and Sarah, my stepson and daughter-in-law had Harry's parents, Henry and Gracie. Gracie just had the one litter of puppies, five strapping male Golden Retrievers. Harry was the runt. Out of the litter, Michael and Sarah sold three pups, gave a pup, Sam, to Sarah's parents and gave Harry to me.

Harry took the plane ride from Dallas to New Orleans when he was about ten weeks old. We had shared loads of photos through e-mail and I knew just what I was getting. Lee already had Wags, the Metairie mutt. Wags was about six years old when we got Harry. We also had two cats at the time, Fred, eight, and Barney, six. Harry brought new life into the household. A happy puppy. All of our other pets loved him from the start. Fred died several years ago, now there is just 16 year olds Wags and Barney.

Lee and I enrolled Harry in obedience school and he was a handful. He learned all the lessons but would always take us on a merry chase all over the pet store when we took him in for lessons. He never met a stranger he didn't like and was all about the treats. He was strong and beautiful. He was the center of attention. We used to say it was all about Harry.

Harry went through a phase, for about two years, where he popped up onto the coffee table in the living room whenever we had company. All the better for everyone to see and adore him. He would sit up there to be petted. We were so happy when he finally finished with that stage. We still have the coffee table and have to laugh whenever we think about his antics.

Harry with Bones, a dog we fostered for about a year.

Harry was the type of dog that ran full out, circumstances be damned. He was about six months old when we had to take him into the vet for stitches after chasing something through the woods and tangling with some barbed wire. He just ran straight through the wire, not even slowing down once he ripped through his skin. That was Harry, full steam ahead.

Harry was tall, strong and willful. He pulled Lee and I into several dangerous situations during his adolescence. One day Lee was walking Harry on the side of a canal near the house when traffic on Barataria Boulevard came to a dead stop. Lee disappeared from sight and the cars stopped to see if Lee needed to be rescued from the canal. Harry just brought Lee along with him down to the water's edge.

Harry and I were out speed walking one morning when Harry stopped abruptly. I fell over Harry and sprained my wrist. Harry never felt a thing. I suffered for several weeks not being able to use my left hand.

We walk our dogs in the woods off leash at least twice a day. Harry would walk ahead of us at his own pace but he would always stop and wait for us to catch up. He would run around and then stop to check on us. Lee called it, "keeping in touch." As Wags got considerably older Harry would slow his pace and check on Wags more often.

Harry with Wags, Lee and me during past holidays.

Harry was also very brave. He was bit by a copperhead snake and never even whimpered. I had to drive him about 40 miles to the vet in the dead of night for treatment. He lay there in the back of the car just waiting for relief. He let the stranger vet examine his wound and give him shots and clean him up. He was patient and gave the vet a big sloppy kiss when the event was over.

Harry also gave the greatest hugs. He would let you lean over and give him a full body hug. Harry was right at 100 pounds most of his life. He was a big, sturdy dog that loved his family and had fun. Harry was ten years, two months and four days when he died. He was a part of our household from cradle to grave. We loved him more than there are words. We will miss him everyday. But, we will laugh at all his remembered antics and all the good times he brought to us.

Harry in the distance, waiting for us to catch up.