Sad Time

[gordon]

Well the reason I'm posting this so late or so early in the day depending on how you look at the clock, is that I just got finished burying the neighbors pony. I must say that is a first and hopefully a last for me---tough time.

He is a horser that has race horses, but this was his pony. He had the pony for seventeen years a family pet, more like a family member. He could call the truck to come get her didn't have the heart to. He came by the house and asked if I would dig a hole with the tractor to bury the pony. What could I say---give me a couple of minutes to warm the tractor up and change the rotary cutter to the box blade.

I've only known this man for about a year and he is tough as nails but this knocked him for a loop, needless to say what it did to his wife and kids. It me pretty hard as well just two weeks ago my kids were riding the pony. He knew it was coming he was in the stall for the last three nights with the pony using every means possible as well as the vet stopping out every day.

Guess what I'm getting at with this post is don't take the little things for granted. The things that you just expect to be there day in and day out may not be there tomorrow so take alittle time today to step back and (for lack of a better term right now) smell the roses.

I can't go to sleep between the coffee and the stress of the past few hours. I had to tell someone and get this off my chest---didn't want to wake the wife she has to be to work at 6am tomorrow or should I say today. Man this is one day I'd like to forget. But it sure opened my eyes for things that we easily take for granted.
Gordon

 

[scruffy]

Gordon, I know where you're coming from. In our family, we adopt our 'pets' into the family and they are virtually family members. We lost our Tomcat 10 months ago, he had been with us for 11 years and traveled all around the country with us. Lord only knows how mopey we were over that, but if we lost our schnauzer, it would be just like loosing a child. Loosing a pet is hard on all involved, but we can be thankful for the years we had with them.

 

[TomG]

Yeah, me too. The chunk of granite I mentioned lifting out of a hole was a grave site for a neighbour's youngest son killed in a crash with a transport. Two days later another transport ran a neighbour off the road, but he survived. About the same time, a fellow at a hunt camp near here fell over a railing, broke his neck and is on life support.

There aren't many people around here, and any loss affects us all. I'm not doing great myself, but I figure living a life with dulled feelings isn't much. I'll stick with my feelings and tomorrow, or next week, will be better. You too I hope.

 

[uppermich]

Hate to say it, but my senior citizen horses and old great Dane are one of the reasons I decided to buy a new tractor this year. Two of the horses are 28, one is 27 and the Dane is 8-1/2. I know I'm going to have to bury them one of these days and it will leave a terrible void in my life. I've had those same horses for 24 years. My daughter doesn't even like going to the barn when she comes home, cause she knows they may not be around much longer.

I lost a brother in a car accident and nothing throws you for a loop more, than losing someone close to you suddenly. My father died of complications with a second cancer surgery, and even though it was relatively quick, the possibility of death was in our minds from the time he was diagnosed.

You think you're invincible for so much of your life..........but eventually you learn that death is a part of the circle of life. The Lion King makes me cry now as I see it through "adult" eyes.


Pat

 

[PaulB]

As a veterinarian, I know what you are saying, and then some. The impact that animals have on peoples' lives is incredible. I see it every day. My 84 year old neighbor just had to put his wife in a nursing home, and himself is likely not long for this world. A few days ago I went over visiting, and all he wanted to be sure of is that if (when) he goes, his little poodle Sweetie will be taken care of. Needless to say, when the time comes I will add a 5 pound poodle to the menagerie I already have (5 cats, 3 dogs, 5 horses). Pat,you mention your own horses. We own 5, my oldest horse (Tiffany) is 22. My wife got her when she was a 3 month old filly , and has had her ever since, since she was in sixth grade - her first horse. We also have Tiffanies only offspring, a 10 year old gelding. Losing them will be something I can not bear to think about until the time comes, but one thing for sure they will be buried on our property and will stay with us forever.