Goodbye to a Dear Friend

This does not really have much to do with sculpture or design, but reveals that Michelle and I are real people with real feelings.

We had to say goodbye to our dog, Rusty this week. It was his time.

We were fortunate to have enjoyed sharing the last 7 of his 14 years. He came to us in March of 2004 as a rough-around-the-edges, very big and energetic chocolate lab who had been seized from his previous owner for neglect. It took a while for him to get used to the fact that he was now going to be loved, always get his meals, and have a safe home to sleep in.

Rusty was quickly nick-named Mr. Brown by Michelle – a name that stuck and was used often by others addressing him. He also garnered several other nicknames like Dr. Dawdle, Bighead, Mr. Shuffle-uf-igus, Mr. Downtown, Sam Pancake, and on and on…

His most endearing trait was appearing to be thick as a plank until one looked the other way and Blammo! – he’d do the craftiest thing. I mean, who eats a wrapped pound of butter from the kitchen counter, licks the wrapper clean, then hides said wrapper under his bed cushion?! Or uses his fang to open a bread bag by the butt end and sucks the bread out?

He made us laugh at his antics and revel with him in his love for life. He enjoyed being with us, even through his last two years of kidney and liver failure, larynx paralysis and epilepsy. He finally had enough this past Monday, when the spark went out in his eyes and he gave us that look that says “I’m done.”

As he had given us the gift of unconditional love while with us, we were able to return a gift by helping him cross over the Rainbow Bridge when we had him put to sleep and out of his pain.

Rusty, we miss you…