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Sunday, January 31, 2021

Black Dog Sunday

I find myself feeling as if I need a little Black Dog inspiration. Just as I thought that the pandemic-induced isolation for my father was going to ease, the evolving virus variants threaten the efficacy of the vaccine that he recently received. My spirits are low. 

When I got the blues while our Black Dog was alive, I would find a few minutes to sit outside with him - cracking jokes, petting him, and smiling - to beat the blues. This photo was from one of those moments.


I had a nightmare about our Black Dog this week. He jumped in the water and dropped like a stone. I jumped in after him and pulled him up very quickly, but he was gone. When I couldn't shake the dream, the Runner had to remind me that, although R left us unexpectedly, we kept him safe from drowning even when he was blind and had laryngeal paralysis. He wore a flotation donut around his neck.

When I first saw the flotation donut, I thought that R would never relax enough while wearing it to have fun retrieving in the water. I was proven wrong within about 30 seconds of R starting to wear it.

He had a summer of wonderful water play thanks to that donut. Now, it is sitting in our basement, and it makes me smile whenever I glimpse it. Wonderful memories of an irrepressibly happy dog.

Just writing this and looking at the photos has made me smile. Thank you, Black Dog. Your spirit lives on.

Happy Black Dog Sunday.

16 comments:

  1. Awwwwwww - R looked so happy swimming with his donut and tennis ball.
    Our boys were great for lifting spirits. So many times, I would throw my arms around Mitch and hug tightly. He loved it and so did I♥

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  2. Hari OM
    What a clever variation on a swimming aid! And trust R to take it fully in his stride. Made me smile, so job done! YAM xx

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  3. Those pictures of R make us smile too. We never would have though to use that donut to keep his head up while swimming.

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  4. That's such a shame that the vaccine isn't sufficient - hopefully there is a booster in the works that will be available soon.

    Whoever thought of the swimming donut was genius! It's clear R was a tolerant and patient dog, and I love the photo of him leaping into the water.

    Take care, stay well!

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  5. Black Dog was blessed to be cared for so thoughtfully.
    Oh how I hope that your father, and so many of our vulnerable loved ones, do not have to endure isolation for much longer. It is a sad situation.

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  6. I'm so glad that R can still bring you joy and comfort even as an angel. ♥
    I'm sorry to hear about your Dad, everything I had been hearing said that the vaccines would still work on the new variants. I guess that was hopeful thinking on their part. :(

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  7. For you and your Dad, a worrying time, I hope he copes with the isolation and all else there. The nightmare, R will always be in your thoughts, and love those doughnut photos.The other night I dreamt that Hugh was kneeling by the garage door, crying, sobbing so much, I woke, leapt out of bed, raced down the hall, put on the outdoor light, and he wasn't there. I walked back to the bedroom and he was asleep in our bed. Instinct kicked in even with a nightmare. Let R visit you, in a good dream or otherwise, he knows how special he was.

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  8. the BEST sentence of all... " Just writing this and looking at the photos has made me smile. Thank you, Black Dog. Your spirit lives on. "
    me too black dog. me too. you will always be my hero and inspiration for living. xoxo

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  9. His spirit truly does and will always live on because you and so many of us remember him.

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  10. R is an inspiration for all of us to this day!

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  11. Oh KB I'm so sorry about your nightmare and your Dad possibly being in isolation again. Will the virus ever let go? I rec'd my first C19 vaccine yesterday, #2 is scheduled for Feb 22.

    Thank goodness Runner was there to assure you R was always protected. Often when I read Black Dog Sunday I'm convinced there was an itty bitty trace of human DNA in him...such a big heart and so caring and understanding.
    hugs Cecilia

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  12. Black Dog always makes us smile too. We are so sorry about the dilemma with your father. It seems so unfair for those most in need of their family to be denied by this uncontrollable pandemic. We are hoping for our vaccines so that maybe life can be a little bit better, but it doesn't look that is going to happen any time very soon. Thank you for sharing R with us - he was such a happy boy that it is hard to look at him without a big smile.

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  13. Nothing is known about the new variant yet, but I would react with an overabundance of caution too. R is one of the most inspirational dogs in history.

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  14. Looking at your photos made me smile too :)

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  15. So good to know that you are smiling after that nightmare. Thanks for your comment today, you understood what I meant, while others just shared their religious beliefs, which is fine, but I am just worried about the practical aspects of old age. I too have been alone here since March last year. I was fine for a long time, now I have felt the need to do more for myself, both to entertain and to learn some new things. I have ordered some classes on DVDs, I started doing puzzles, stuff like that. Hopefully, I will work on my cooking too. I hope your dad will find something to help him, because even with vaccines it sounds like we will have to live like this for a long time still.

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  16. What a precious memory indeed. Glad you found some happiness in a world that's been turned upside down and especially glad you dad received his first vaccine. I'm still in queue for mine but make even a greater effort to avoid interaction as much as possible. And wearing my mask whenever I go outdoors.

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