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Living On Borrowed Time
By Laraine Rose
"Minnie, come." I say, slapping my thighs and smiling. She looks at me with that quizzical stare, head cocked and ears slightly raised. "Come!" I repeat with an inflection of frustration. Her copper-colored frame remains completely still as if her paws have been bolted to the ground. "Darn it," I mutter under my breath and walk up to her with treat in hand. She sidles up to me, gently taking the biscuit and following me into the house. After all these years, I am the one who has been trained, not her. Minnie, our minature Australian Sheep dog (with definitely a mixture of Sheltie) is nearly fourteen and I have stopped worrying about her obedience. Minnie has well surpassed her expiration date for training. She has survived her pseudo-sister, "Coco," her feline friend, "McMuffin," her fine-feathered friend, "HennyPenny" and many neighborhood buddies. Much like a Timex watch, she can take a licking and keep on ticking. I maneuver her towards her bed and offer her another treat for good measure. It falls from her gums. The eye/mouth coordination is not what it used to be. I pick it up and give it to her again. She leans into me as if to say thank you and then unceremoniously flops on her bed. I sit next to her and stroke her muzzle. More white than copper now, it confirms her age. For as much as I do not like to think about it, she has become a geriatric dog. We are living on borrowed time. Our other dogs bark and Minnie bounds to her feet, stepping on me in the process. So much for the tender moment. But, I have to smile. She still finds a reason to get up. She scratches on the door to go outside again. I look at her and tell her that I just brought her in. She paws at the door more feverishly until I finally acquiesce. Her run is more of an addled bunny hop, her back legs not able to move the way they used to. She stops by the fence and barks a few times and then finds a sunny spot to land. The sun's warmth is almost gone for the season. She seems intent on enjoying every last bit of it. I leave her out there to lie on the grass and I wonder what the house will be like without her presence in it someday. She has always been a bit contrary and commands have always been considered first and then grudgingly accepted. Some days it seems she barks just to hear her own voice, the house reverberating with the noise of a suburban hound of the Baskerville. Whatever she lacks in obedience she more than makes up for in personality. She has become more than a fixture. She is part of our family. She props her head up and looks at me when I walk back outside. I tell her not to worry, I can wait. She rolls over onto her back and flails her legs about, burrowing her head into the soft grass. Her eyes light up and her mouth curls up into a grin. I know what she is thinking. The sun is still warm. It is not time to go yet. But, when it is you will know.
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Contributor's Note
Note: Borrowed time ran out for us on 10-03-09.
RIP Minnie Rosebud PHOTOS by www.willborden.com
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Minnie Rosebud
Minnie Rosebud
Minnie Rosebud
Minnie Rosebud enjoying the autumn of her life.
Minnie Rosebud
PLEASE VISIT THE CONTRIBUTOR'S WEBSITE
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We are all living on borrowed time. It's a question of maintaining a high level of interest.
CONTRIBUTOR'S REPLY
Definitely the level of interest has to be kept up.
Your story made me smile, thanks for sharing it with all of us.
CONTRIBUTOR'S REPLY
We shared many happy moments. These are the ones we want to remember.
I'm sorry to hear Minnie's time ran out. I am a pet lover myself and I fully understand how hard it is to lose our animal friends. They are like family to us.
CONTRIBUTOR'S REPLY
Thanks for the kind comments, June.
Great writing, very heart warming. You were lucky to have each other.
CONTRIBUTOR'S REPLY
Amen to that. Thanks Mulberry.
Thanks for sharing such a wonderful Intel, I found it really moving.
CONTRIBUTOR'S REPLY
Thank you for your kind comments.
So much feeling in your writing... excellent! It hurts, doesn't it to lose such sweet souls.
CONTRIBUTOR'S REPLY
You are right, it does hurt when one of our "family" dies. I waited a while so to write about Minnie. Even now, I couldn't do it without crying. Thanks for your kind comment.
Great writing, Laraine. 14 years is a long time for a dog, but it sounds as though Minnie still has a lot of life in her, thank goodness. We just put our 11 year old Golden Retriever down on May 10th. I wish she had had the 4 more years that Minnie is enjoying. I hope she goes to 20!
CONTRIBUTOR'S REPLY
Hi Larry, I guess you didn't see my note. We lost Minnie to Cancer Oct.3,2009. It has just taken me a long time to be able to write about it. Even now, I cried when I wrote about her. I was sorry to hear about your loss too. Something that does make it easier is our other 2 dogs. They are 5 years "young" and I now have a bit of time to train them better. Thank you for writing.
Such a sweet photo..and yes we are all living on borrowed time indeed. Thanks for sharing this hearfelt story
CONTRIBUTOR'S REPLY
Thank you.
I very nice, heart-felt story. Thanks for sharing. Excellent writing.
CONTRIBUTOR'S REPLY
I had a hard time writing about Minnie but it's all a part of the healing process.
Thank you for your comment.
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This content may not be copied, distributed or adapted by anyone under any circumstances.
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This intel was contributed by Laraine
Laraine
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February, 2012
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