LadyBug

Almost three years ago we took Lady, our Golden Retriever, to the vet. She showed me (Lady that is) a lump. Honestly. Lady communicates with me in a strange bizarre way. She will give me a certain look with her eyes, then twist her body around until I notice something that is bothering her. So, almost three years ago, she gave me 'that look', and laid on her back and wriggled around, until I noticed it. As soon as I did I said, 'Oh, Lady- I see it.' Then she went back to what she was doing, I phoned the vet, made an appointment, and we were off. We booked 'the' appointment for Bentley at the same time. "The" appointment that boy dogs might not particularly be thrilled to go to if they know what's going to happen.

The vet checked Lady over, examined the lump, and determined that it was probably cancer. It wasn't a very big lump, but since Bentley was going to be 'out of it' for a time while he had his little procedure, the vet would remove Lady's lump too. My Sweetheart and I had a day to go shopping while the dogs were having their procedures done.

When we returned to pick them up and take them home, Bentley surprised us by leaping and bounding and smiling. We were amused by his antics, especially considering that he had just been neutered. I guess he didn't know. And, I guess, the drugs hadn't worn off.

Lady, on the other hand, wasn't faring too well. She bled quite a bit. And the bleeding didn't want to stop - even with stitches. Her breed, the vet told us, sometimes runs into that problem. The blood doesn't clot like it should. Anyway, the bleeding stopped and we loaded her, gingerly and tenderly, into the back seat beside her goofy, young 'brother-type' Bentley.

We got about half hour away from the vets, when I checked on her, and her wound was bleeding again.  After a quick phone call, we were on the way back to the vet. We were relieved when they said they'd keep her overnight to make sure all was well.

Lady would be, we were told, living on borrowed time.  The cancer would undoubtedly spread, in time, maybe quickly. We decided to make her days special. Those days turned into months. And then a year.  And another year.

The tumours came.  The cancer spread, and is now spreading too fast for our liking. It started with a tumour in her eye. Then her nipples. Now she has a very big one on her belly.  It is ugly. And it is slowing her down. My Sweetheart and I noticed that she was really slowing down the other night when we took the dogs, Lady, Bentley and Chico, for a walk. Every time, up until that night, that we had taken them for walks, the 2 big dogs would take off ahead of us.  They would run, explore, sniff, roll around, play with each other, run back to us for pets, run ahead again, and keep on. But not the other night. When we got to as far south as we were going to walk, we turned around.  Lady was so far behind.  And shortly after that is when we noticed the huge ugly tumour on her belly. It had to have been bothering her so much then. She just didn't tell me about it. Maybe she just wanted to sneak another walk in without worrying me.

Tonight, when I came home after taking My Mom to her home after a supper of fresh garden potatoes, maple glazed salmon, Caesar salad, and Saskatoon berry pie followed by 2 games of buy-rummy- Lady didn't move. She was on the front step, just laying there. Her tail wagged.  But she didn't lift her head. I walked up the steps and gave her a pat. She gave me her look.  And tonight that look told me that she was hurting. So I brought her in the house. I gave her extra food- extra soft food that is. She ate it and that made me happy. I'm glad she's still eating.  She has tumours in her mouth too, so I fear that one of these days she will be unable to eat. After she finished eating she came and sat beside me while I was at my laptop. She had a hard time sitting because of where her big ugly tumour is.  But she sat so that her eyes were closer to my eyes.  And she just looked at me.  And I looked at her. And I gave her extra pets. And extra hugs. And I asked her about her day. Then I told her that I knew that she was hurting. She just sat there, soaking up the attention, soaking up the love. I talked to her with tears in my eyes. She knows that I know. And I hope she knows that she is loved.

The Break

One week ago, almost exactly to the minute, we had set up camp at beautiful Johnston Canyon campgrounds, across from Johnston Canyon- near Banff.

The scenery was breathtaking. And the smell of fresh clean mountain air was lovely. The heat was stifling.

And we, My Sweetheart, DD, DS and myself were camping at a 'no service' campground. "The campfire," My Sweetheart claimed, "would be worth the trade off."

We were, for all intents and purposes, roughing it. I hadn't roughed it since I was a little girl camping with Dad, Mom, by Blue Suede Brother, and my Other Brother. But for My Sweetheart and DS, I would relent.  Because of love.

For 3 nights we lived as pioneers: cooking over campstoves, strumming on guitars,  listening to coyotes, huddled under tarps as rain poured down and thunder cracked and lightning rolled.

OK.  I'll admit it.  It wasn't like that at all.  It was kind of strange, in a sense, to be at a 'no service' campground and still be able to take advantage of modern technology. We had our cell phones, and we charged them in the 5th wheel thanks to the solar panels that My Sweetheart had brought along. His, My Sweetheart's laptop, came out in the evening, powered by his personal hotspot on his cell phone. So during our hiatus from the outside trappings, we were looking at cruises, dreaming of winter vacations, checking emails.  Weird, I know.

There were no rainstorms or thunderstorms. Guitars weren't being played. But memories were being made. Possibly a memory of a last family camping trip.  Who knows? The Lord knows. From our point of view it doesn't look like we'll be taking a family camping trip again, but maybe we will.

Games were played.  Reminiscing took place over the campfire. This mama was busy storing up memories in her heart. Bentley was busy cooling off in the Bow River that ran close to our site. My Sweetheart and DS enjoyed the ruggedness of the mountains. DD and I were longing for full service.

The break was good for us. We all needed the time to get away and relax. The Lord provided us with a beautiful venue to marvel at and enjoy. All is well.