on bolo

Yesterday we found out the bad news: advanced diabetes and something else. It was recommended that we put him to sleep. Seems Monday will be that day.

Hard already to lose the dog. For a few more days, @ least. That last scene in "The Field".

A few more days.

We have had him for about five years. He has terrible allergies, which is why he came to us in the first place: whoever had him before us wanted to get rid of him then, and a person on the block figured we would kindly take him in. We guessed that his constant scratching drove them mad. We took him to the vet back then and they gave us a long list of medicines that would help control- slitely-the scratching- but w. the price tag of an early death due to the toxicity of the drugs. We knew. We put it out of our minds - but we knew.

Recently he has had to piss constantly. Constantly - he started to have accidents inside. Worried, we let it go for a week - but knew that yesterday was the day to Find Out.

Funny how I run from everything. My sister took the dog to the vet while I went our grocery shopping and picking up Popeye's. When i got home, Mom and my sister were talking of the Imminent Leaving in the front room - but I just held back in the kitchen, listening......

It doesn't have to be Monday. But my sister decided that that was best - we'll have him for a few more days - a weekend! - and then tell him goodbye. After school on Monday.

So, his amazing backload of treats and cookies- now he's getting them shoveled to him. Walks? several a day. Funny - when the garage was beiing built, we had to tear down a small tree that'd grown in back. Hated to see it go, but it would have destroyed the base of the garage eventually. W. help, I cut it down to the stump and stored the old branches in the yard - the garbage men would not take them away. So, I have been taking one branch - a huge gnarled tangled thing - out on walks w. the dog to get rid of them one by one. Since the dog adores alleys, it's an easy thing to rip apart the smaller branches from the thing and toss the pieces in the alley. Stupid, i now - I could just put them small bit by small bit in the trash can - but decided I'd have fun this way. I figgered that we could take our time doing this - but now it needed to get done by Sunday nite. Sticks up and down my alley scattered.

And soon that'll be all that's left of him - I'll walk up my alley in 3-4 weeks, and I know Ill see the sticks. And tyhat's all that will be left.

So, it's a sad house - Mom and sister and I.