Bummer

Bummer was a mixed breed, mostly Irish Setter and I would guess some Collie.  Bummer was also an American, which I never held against him seeing as I was born with duel citizenship.He had beautiful, long red blonde hair which he shed all of time.  I am sure that somewhere in the house on Sturgeon Glen you could find some bummer feathers if you really looked.

Bummer came into my life when a man I had known 40 years previously came back into my life.  His name was Paul.  Paul had cancer and had a two year life expectancy, I accepted an engagement ring from Paul because I knew he was dying, (I don't do marriage).  However Paul outlived his life expectancy by over 3 years and died in 2002.  Probably the greatest gift Paul gave me was Bummer.  This was not the smartest dog I had ever known or owned but he was the sweetest.  Three cats were to eventually join the family and Bummer loved them all.

This dog had been raised in a fenced in yard in Elmhurst, Illinois.  He didn't have a clue about traffic. My house at R.R. 3 Fenelon Falls must have seemed like heavon to him.  There were no fences and when he got to the road he would walk right down the middle.  He never did learn about traffic, how he kept from being run over I have no idea.  Bummer lost  his virginity with a German Shepherd 4 houses up the road.  After that I convinced Paul that Bummer should be neutered, this was far more traumatic to Paul than it was for Bummer.  I told Paul that Bummer was in the gene pool now, the Shepherd up the road had 6 puppies, 5 of them were reddish blonde, so Bummer go fixed and didn't run away quite so often.

Paul died in the fall of 2002 and Bummer went into his own kind of depression.  The cats seemed to be the only things that made Bummer happy.  Within a year it was clear that Bummer had some kind of dementia.
Befiore I went to Arizona that winter I signed a paper for the vet in case Bummer needed care while I was gone, that care included euthanasia.  My son Russ and his partner Leighann looked after Bummer for me while I was away.  Bummer had stopped eating almost completely and wanted to lay on the steps outside of the house in the cold and the snow all of the time.  He was waiting for Paul to come back, I knew that.  While I was gone my son with the beautiful soul took Bummer to the Vet and had him put to sleep.  I was so glad it was Rusty who did this because Bummer loved him.  I am glad it was Rusty who held him when he died and shed the tear after.  I loved Bummer and I still think of him with love and affection.

Afternoon Thoughts

Wednesday, January 11th, 2012............1:03p.m.