On June 15th our Ellie was called home by the G-D of my ancestors. She was over 13 and half years old. She passed while we were at her side and she was alert and interacting with us when she passed. Another piece of my heart is gone with her passing. She was Trevor’s daughter and my last earthly link to him is now gone. RIP dear Ellie.
As we now turn to the future with the small remnant of quickly aging babies who were born here and Ginger and Winchester we are now working on bringing into our home some new, young collies to be come part of the collie family and its culture before they are all gone.
There is sort of a continuation when the old blend with the new and yet because of their personalities things change, but in a consistent and gradual manner instead all new. I guess it has helped us to keep part of the past alive as the new slowly comes in. It is a bittersweet moment moving into the future away from the family line of collies we have loved and lived with for over 3 generations. As they slowly fade from our midst knowing we are losing something that can never be regained is sort of hard to live with. However, knowing there is a new future coming is sort of exciting in itself. There may be a unusual blend of old and new in the works, but it is too early to count on this event. But, we will keep you updated as there are plans afoot to bring this blog back to life as we move into the future.
Why the pause for the past couple of recent years? We have been a pretty popular blog for a while and to let go means a rebuilding here also. However, as you can see the rate of passing of our now elderly collies has been picking up in speed and it is difficult to write of nothing but death, or so and so needs medication and watching them slowly decline to their final moments. We have spent the past couple of years enjoying our final moments with the collies we have, nursing them, loving them, comforting them and giving back to them as they gave to us for all these years. Hard decisions have had to be made and a lot of loss and pain has been endured for they all grew old together.
Ginger still plots and schemes, Winchester tears across the backyard whipping the collies into a frenzy that because of their ages doesnt last as long now. Lil Hallie still goes for walks, but at a much slower pace as Winchester leads the way going up far ahead and then comes back to urge Hallie on. Mick is still doing silly things, and Rutherford still struts, although at a shorter distance now as he still grins that silly grin. We have lots of good times yet, but because of age the rough and tumble, crazy never ending antics have slowed down as I too have slowed down a bit due to age. As I sit her writing I am surrounded by the last of the line I love so much and I smile as I look at those loving eyes and those now graying faces looking at me and I realize looking back at them is a face with wrinkles, gray hair a smile that never goes away when I am around them. My heart also hurts for I know our time together is coming to close very rapidly now.
I hear the echoes of their barking, stampeding across the yard and feel them jostling against me when there were 13 of them rampaging and frolicking across the yard. That will be with me for the rest of my life and as it recedes further into the past I look to a future with Winchester leading the charge of a much smaller collie family across the meadow….. with the echoes of Trevor, Laddie, Big Hallie, Smoke, Anya, Branwen, Ellie, Skylight, Wally (Rebel Yell) Niamh, MacKenzie, Teddy, Sadie, Chessie and soon joined by Lil Hallie, Mick, Rutherford and Ginger in the next year or two barking in the background.
The rebuilding and new adventures should be fun and exciting. What new things will happen will be covered. For now, we need the time to say goodbye….. and to cherish what moments we have left.
More soon….
Awe so sorry Chuck!!!! She was a beauty:-) blessings to you and sincere sympathies!
RIP, sweet girl. You will be missed. Watch over the old guy and the rest of the family! xoxo
Love and licks,
Cupcake
I am so sorry for your loss. Rest assured that she has rejoined her friends, all in fine health. Think of all of them rollicking through eternal meadows! They are still with you and always will be until you meet them at the Bridge.
My heart aches for you. I lost my beloved Odysseus this year and I can’t stop grieving. I have four others but they’re all also aging as am I. I turned 88 this year and i just wonder………….Love and hugs to you.
Josephine McCall
I feel your pain in over 40 years of training and working herding and Pointing breeds especially the gorgeous Collies. I have lost many babies but I continue to get more puppies in remembrance of the great lives I experienced, Though now I am retired from training I still have a German Shorthair for a hunting dog, and a seizure alert, and assistance dog, who is lying by my side right now as I write this. As a minister of 45 years I know the Bible says there is no difference between man and beast as one perisheth so perisheth the other and Ecclesiastes says who judges whether one goes up and the other goes down and its God who Judges! Many who have had after death experiences including myself have seen animals especially dogs in heaven, many have seen their pets in Heaven. My father days before his death said he saw his Shetland Sheepdog Lady visiting him in the hospital who was long deceased. I am looking forward to seeing my family and my dogs waiting for me. Blessed be our God, who moved upon an ancestor of the dogs and ours to become companions!
Amen! We shall see them all again! G-D bless you
My heart is sad for you in the loss of your dear Ellie. Hug the others close.
I am so sorry for your loss, I now the pain you are going through as I just lost my beloved GSD Iris last month. My prayers and hugs to you.
I am so sorry for your loss. Even at times of loss your posts are always engaging.
I’ve not been posting much about our Shelties recently other things have been taking more attention but it is always there to return to when there is time as your blog is here for you.
I wish you well on your journey.
So very sorry for your loss…it is heartrending to lose those good companions, there for us rain or shine, but it was encouraging to see you looking forward too.
So sorry! You will see her again.
We are sniffling here. Dad is on collie 4 and 5. While Dad is always sad when a bridge crossing happens, he normally smiles when he thinks of the collie. The days of fence patrol seem like yesterday, then again like a lifetime ago. Dad likes the fact all the collies have been related.
Dog Speed,
Gemini, Normandy and Dog Dad