In an effort to get to over the rainbow bridge before the first snow arrived, Homer departed and left us. We are heartbroken and feeling lost. In the 9 ½ years we had Homer in our lives we had many adventures, walks, hikes, rides, tons of boat rides, and good everyday living.
After being “cat people” for twenty-plus years we decided to get a dog. And we got the best dog. We didn’t know we had the best dog until we got the crazy bulldog who is not the best dog LOL! That’s a topic for another day.
I, Wine, was blessed to have Homer as my constant companion. He literally went almost everywhere with me as I worked around the house, outside in the yard, and while I painted the exterior. He was by my side as I worked in my home office, went out and about to client’s homes (I’m an interior designer), picked up custom furnishings, went to showrooms, visited job sites, and went to my workroom.
Homer came with me to our vacation rental properties we personally manage. He watched me clean, make beds, and prepare for guests arrival. He came with me to the garden centers to get plants for our home and rentals and then watched me as I planted and spread mulch. He was always there watching me.
I can’t explain how amazing it was to have a dog so connected to me. It was very hard to leave him at home when it wasn’t an option to take him along because he struggled with separation anxiety. This separation anxiety was elevated when he could no longer move around on his own and whined every time I left his sight. I’m not going to dwell on that.
The years we had Homer he never had any major health issues. He had a shoulder injury from jumping into the van awkwardly, had a few teeth pulled, and one urinary infection. I can count just a few times he had a belly ache and didn’t eat. He did however get the dreaded degenerative myelopathy disease which slowly took away his mobility. He wasn’t sick, just disabled.
Homer accepted his new wheels, the skis, the wagon, and then a plastic sled. We dragged Homer all over the house, the grounds, and down the stairs in that plastic sled. It made it easy to have him with me because I knew that is where he wanted to be. I wouldn’t change a thing except having a bit more patience at times. We were all frustrated and worked together to make the most of it.
Lack of mobility did not dampen Homer’s spirit. He had a happy face till the end. That’s why we did all we could to keep him with us for as long as we did. His departure came up suddenly and I’m grateful that we didn’t know it would unfold so abruptly. Not to focus on his last moments I want to tell all that he had a great last night with us; we didn’t know it was his last night. Something happened to his insides overnight and he was declining quickly; it turns out that there was internal bleeding that caused the unexpected and quick demise. We were grateful that our favorite vet that only works limited hours at the vet’s office was there that day. I had not seen her in years and missed her calm demeaner; she made Homer’s cross over very peaceful. We are blessed.
Whiskey and I spent our first day without Homer pouring through all of our digital photos to see our journey with our beloved boy. It was very cathartic to see all that we did that was mundane everyday living, the thousands of Homer on the boat photos, and trips we’ve taken. It was an amazing time with him. We miss him terribly. Every day was a gift with our gentle dog.
Our lives were changed forever from the first time we met our Homer who came to us from West Virginia. We took him in and we were off and running to create the best life we could give him. Here are photos of our life together. Click on a photo to open a slide show if you dare.
