Goodbye Ashley

On February 13, 2004, I drove to Pine Plains to get a Valentine's Day present for Big Daddy while he was at work.  A lady met me at  the door and told me there were four black puppies and I should take them into the yard and choose one.  We were in the yard less than three minutes when the decision was made.  Three of the puppies ran away and the last one stayed at my feet and wanted to play. I didn't choose at all, she chose me. 

The woman suggested I bring a rubber bin for the car ride home.  I placed her in the bin and started backing out of the driveway.  When I turned around, she was gone. I found her wedged between my seat and the door, she rode the remaineder of the drive on my lap.  Keeping her a secret until Big Daddy came home the next morning wasn't easy.  She was so sweet and had that puppy breath that probably really stinks, but for some reason smells good when you are nose to nose.  I put a red ribbon around her neck and shoved her out the door when Big Daddy got out of the car.  She ran right to him and he was so happy.

Her favorite spot to play outside was the fire pit, thus her name Ashley.  Her paws always had ashes on them.  Big Daddy and I treated her like a child.  I must admit, we were a bit ridiculous.  At one point, we were feeding her out of our hand because she wouldn't eat.  While at one of her check-ups, we spoke to the doctor about her eating habits. (Yes, we both went)  The doctor asked us a very profound question, "Has it ever occurred to you that she might be full?"  We left the vet feeling like the biggest asses and I'm sure they were laughing at us as we drove away.

Ashley became my companion when Big Daddy was at work.  She sat with me through two pregnancies.  We shared Popsicles and popcorn, two of her favorite foods. When Donny and Abigail arrived, she was so good with both of them.  There was one thing she did that Big Daddy and I always loved.  When the kids were very little, Ashley would go up to them when they were sitting in the little swing.  With her teeth, she would bite the very tip of their socks and slowly pull them off and then lick their feet.  Her teeth never touched their toes.

Today didn't start well for Ashley.  She was bleeding from her nose and her morning walk took a lot longer than it should. Big Daddy stayed home to keep an eye on her.  Around one o'clock he coaxed her off the couch for a walk.  They were gone a very long time and I began to worry.  I went to the window to look for them and saw Big Daddy carrying her home and I knew that was their last walk.  He brought her to the steps and Kitty came over and sat beside her.  Ashley spent the rest of her time with us on a blanket in the yard.  I sat with her for several hours  and fed her Popsicles until it was time.  Thank you for being part of our family Ashley. You gave us so much more than we gave you. We love you and will miss you everyday.   xoxoxoxo