090417 - Farewell To A Dear Friend

Today we mourn the loss of The Highway Guys’ wing man. Peter was a great companion and good and loyal friend.
He knew my moods and my weaknesses and responded well to them.

His childhood and early years were unknown.
The rescue agency advertised him as a 4 year old Lab mix. It took us 4 years to find out his Breed was Korean Jindo. On his first visit to the Vet, Dr. Winter suggested he was at least 6 years old and now I think he was being kind at that but I didn’t care.

I often told him that if his mother could see him now she would be very proud of him.
He grew up strong and handsome and entered a noble profession.
Peter lived by two rules in life:
1. “Women love a guy in uniform” and
2. “If you’re good looking, you can get away with anything”.

In the short time we had together, we traveled the highways from coast to coast, made many friends, and experienced an adventure most people only dream of. He was always happy, his tail always wagging and very adaptable. Every time the RV door opened, he would have to find a new tree or bush or rock to mark as his, but as long as he knew where his water and food bowl was, he was content. A recent development of arthritis had slowed him down, creating a limping gait and I’m sure some pain, but he never complained and did not give in. He was so macho.

He was more than a travel companion – he was my exercise coach – making sure I got my needed exercise by walking at last 3 times a day, regardless of the weather. I think he especially liked our midnight walks when it was peaceful and quiet with only Mother Nature for a soundtrack. The cooler the weather, the faster he walked – I think he was part sled dog.
He was also my social director – determining where we went and what we did for fun.
He was my protector – keeping the bad guys at a distance but always allowing kids and friendly adults to pet him.
Most of all he was my psychiatrist- listening to all of my thought and ideas – not passing judgment and always offering encouragement and support.

I will miss those warm, inquisitive brown eyes looking up at me every time I was eating or even opening up a jar of peanut butter, expecting me to share – which I always did.

He was a noble beast, who taught me the meaning of unconditional love, total forgiveness and responsibility.
He had seen places and done things that most dogs and many people have not.

He’d been to Mt Rushmore, Disney World, Epcot Center, Kennedy and Houston Space centers.
He had visited presidential libraries and a presidential tomb.
He was interviewed and featured in a major newspaper article. Thank you Robin.
He’d been to the Baseball and Football Halls of Fame.
He’d been to Ben &Jerry’s Ice Cream Plant and the Vermont Teddy Bear Factory.
He rode a small boat in and out of the harbors and coves of Maine… and a Mississippi Riverboat out of New Orleans.
And attended a New Orleans Mardi Gras and even caught a few strands of beads.
He’d been to museums all over the country and historical landmarks including the site of Custer’s Last stand.
He traveled to the top of a mountain in New Hampshire in a tram and rode a train thru the Great Royal Gorge in Colorado.

One thing he never got to do was fly in an airplane, but he came close by walking thru one. It was the 707 that President Lyndon Johnson used as Air Force One and it had a unique feature – a doggie door for his beagles, which Peter tried out.

He died on Friday, April 17th, 2009 about 5:45 A.M. on the way to the emergency hospital. I can only guess that he ate something poisonous.

The emergency center was 16 miles away. I quickly unplugged our power line, and headed out. Peter was now breathing hard and emitting sharp but weak barks. After exiting the freeway, stopped at a light, I looked back and listened and he was quiet.

I pulled into an empty shopping center parking lot and turned the lights on. He was lying on his side, flailing with his front paws as if he was boxing, and then I saw him expel a little urine and he went still. I lifted his head and cradled it but it was limp and lifeless. I gently laid it back on the floor and stared in disbelief and wept.

There was suddenly no reason to do anything but mourn and cry. Alone in the middle a vacant parking lot we sat as the sun began a new day and Peter would not be part of that day or any other ever again.

I was now faced with the horrible decision of how to dispose of the body. What a horrible word “dispose”..So degrading and dishonorable.

I decided I should cremate him and keep his remains in the RV.

I waited till 8 am and then called a nearby veterinarian about any crematorium facilities nearby. He gave me the name a service in Palm Desert and I called them.

The owner of the company, Desert Dove Pet Crematory Service, Larry, was very kind and told me that he could perform the service today.
We had plans to be in the Phoenix area in 2 days and I wanted to just get away as soon as I could.

Larry was a very warm and compassionate man.
He gently removed Peter’s body from the RV and placed it on a gurney and wheeled it thru the back door of his store. I remained in the Beast. – I could not follow, nor did I want to witness the process. He told me he could have the service completed by the end of the day so we could leave town before sundown. At 5:30 he knocked on the door and presented me with Peter’s remains in an attractive wooden urn, a little larger than a cigar box – and offered his condolences.

I wrapped Peter’s collar around the box and placed it in his favorite traveling spot –under the passenger seat by the small window he would look out of as we drove.

Peter was an inspiration and motivation for me to enjoy life on a daily basis and now his memory will have to fill that role.

The DEAD POOL, consisting of The Beast, Peter and myself, had the smart money on me going first. This bothered me because I worried about who would take care of Peter with me gone. Now there’s a problem I can cross of my list.

I drove to a truck stop just across the Arizona border, gassed up a nearly empty tank, had a silent dinner and went to bed.

A strange thing happened the day he died – the electric generator stopped working – and the water pump started malfunctioning –by discharging water out a valve to the ground.

It was as if the Beast had gone into mourning for Peter by shutting down. I was not able to use my computer – or go on the Internet – or even run the air conditioner or microwave since we had gone on the road and planned on boondocking. It was as if the Beast wanted me to spend my time in thought with a little suffering and not be distracted. I couldn’t write my blog or even use the vacuum to pick up Peter’s shedded hair.

I left his toys and water bowl and food dish in their usual place as a shrine to him for now. I can’t bear to put them away because it will mean that he will never need them again.

You know that I believe that God laughs whenever you tell him your plans:
God must be really laughing now.
..Last month I took out an accident insurance policy on Peter – he never got to use it.
..I order a refill on his anti-inflammatory and pain medication to make his life more comfortable – he doesn’t need them anymore…. He’s no longer in pain
..I ordered a portable folding ramp for Peter to be able to get into high access vehicles – like SUVs and trucks without having to struggle – he won’t need that anymore.
..I ordered shinny new recovery dog tags for his collar – he won’t be getting lost anymore.
..I just renewed his annual dog license – doggie heaven doesn’t require a license.

For the time being, I will stay on the road, visit some friends, spend time in parks and forests where Mother Nature does her best work and reflect on the past 6 years we spent together. April 28th would have been our 6th anniversary.

Without him by my side, the roads will seem a little longer, the nights a little darker, but his memory and good deeds will never be forgotten and his impact on my life made his life a monument to friendship.