Where's The Snake?

Friday night, Mama and I were in the backyard. She always looks around the patio for snakes just because she really doesn't like snakes and she wants to be sure she doesn't step on one. She looked up at the abandoned bird nest that is above a light fixture under the deck and what does she see? A snake skin! WHERE'S THE SNAKE? Did a bird bring the snake skin to the nest for nesting material? We don't think so because the mama and babies moved out a few weeks ago.

Mama always told Jack that he needed to be careful with leaving the sliding door open because a snake might just slither in the house. This snake skin is under the deck so it could have easily have been on the deck. Eeeeek!

Scout
The Greyhound Who Hopes She Doesn't Find The Owner Of This Skin

One Week Has Passed

We have survived the first week without our boy. Yesterday was hard because I was remembering the time line of everything that had happened last Saturday. We stayed busy, but I was still watching the clock and was dreading reaching the time that he had actually died. Jeff painted my office yesterday and needed my help about twenty minutes before "time of death" occurred and when I was finished helping him, the time had passed. I missed it, but that was probably good. I'm feeling a relief to be past the one week mark. Last week was one of the longest weeks of my life and I'm glad it is over. There is no more thinking "last week of this time he was alive" and we were doing this and that.

If you are wondering, Jack loved his jammies. He received many laughs from fellow campers because he would prance around the campground in his jammies. Jack pranced, he didn't walk like a normal dog. He always had a spring in his step.

Patty
Mama to Jack and Scout

My Second Time Being Alone

Mama had to go to the store this morning to replace some of our refrigerated food. She thinks some of it may have spoiled during our power outage on Wednesday because she got pretty sick yesterday afternoon. I had to stay home because they don't allow dogs at the grocery store and Wal-Mart. I did okay, but I sure was happy when Mama got home.

Mama said when she was at Wal-Mart, she was thinking that maybe she should get a card for our vet to thank him for taking care of Jack for the past five years. She really likes our vet. She was one of his very first customers when he started his business about twenty years ago. She said he used to have to stand on a regular scale with the animal to weigh them. He now has a real scale, which I don't like because it doesn't take into consideration that I'm big boned. I don't know how he would have weighed me because I don't think he would want to lift me and I don't fit on one of those people scales. Anyway, who walked into Wally World, but our vet! Mama had never seen him outside the office until today. Mama said that he said he had called the E-vet on Saturday night, so he knew about Jack. She said that they talked about Jack for a few minutes and even though she was teary-eyed, it was nice to see him and it made her feel better. Mama hadn't been to that Wally World for quite a while, but today felt like she needed to go there and I guess it was so that she could see our vet.

It's kind of stormy here. I'm a little nervous, but not totally freaked out. I'm glad Mama got home before the storms came.

Scout
The Greyhound Who Needs A Nap After Being Alone For Two Hours

A Rainbow Over Jack's Deck

It's Mama at the keyboard this morning. We have been doing "okay". Jack is never out of my thoughts for long, but the tears are coming less often and don't last for as long. There are times like last night when I miss him so much that I feel that I can't stand it. This morning when I woke up, I still had that feeling and hugging Scout did not help. I looked out the front window and noticed that the sky had a strange color to it. It just had a glow to it. I went out back onto Jack's deck as we've called it since we moved here and looked at our tomato plant wondering when the tomatoes would actually turn red and feeling sad because Jack had helped me plant it and he wouldn't be here to see the tomatoes turn red. I turned to go inside the house and this is what I saw.

I have never been one to believe in the signs of a rainbow. I still don't know if I do, but this was the most beautiful rainbow that I have ever seen and it was over Jack's deck. It doesn't show up well in the photo, but it was very colorful and full. It made me cry, of course. Has my boy made it to the rainbow bridge? I guess it would help if I could believe that, but I just don't know if I do.

Patty
A Mama Who Hopes Her Boy Is Okay

I Went On An Adventure

Mama has been keeping me busy with new adventures. Last night, we walked down our road. It's an old highway and during the day it's very busy. It's not busy at night though. It was fun, but I missed not having Jack to share it with me. Mama kept talking to me and I could tell she was trying hard not say anything about Jack. Daddy asked me all about my walk when we got home, but it's still not the same as sharing it with Jack.

This morning, we had a bad storm and our electric went out at 3 a.m. I wasn't scared. Jack would have been nervous with all the thunder, so Mama said it's nice that he missed the storm. The electric company called us and told us that three poles had come down and it was going to take them all day to fix it. I went back to bed, but then Mama surprised me by asking if I wanted to go on an adventure since we couldn't work without electricity.

Our first stop was Sonic for breakfast. Mama had a breakfast burrito and I had a small hamburger, no bun. I'm watching my weight, you know.

Our next stop was the park.

I had never been there before. It's a place Mama and Daddy used to go when they were dating. Mama said that Daddy proposed to her there. The park was full of ducks and geese. There were a lot of people walking. We also saw some dogs and apparently some people don't clean up after their dogs. We think we know the culprit because she didn't have control of her dog and kept telling him to stay on the sidewalk and not walk in the grass. The "mess" was left on the sidewalk. He's our main suspect. I hope no one thought it was me. :-O

After we left the park, we drove around for a while. We drove past the house Mama grew up in and she showed me her grade school. She took me on a hilly road and said to hang on because it feels like you will loose your stomach on some of the hills. I'm not sure I liked it.

We came home and the electric was still off, so Mama read on her Kindle and I took a nap. Then Mama woke me up and said it was lunch time, so back in the car we went. We had McDonalds. We came home and watched all the people come down our road even though the sign said "CLOSED". They would zoom past our house only to have to turn around. The road was closed due to the power lines being repaired. One big tractor trailer had to back all the way down the road. Mama said that everyone thinks signs are for everyone else and not them.

I came in the living room at 1:15 p.m. to tell Mama the electric was back on. The fan in the bedroom came on and that's how I knew. Mama thought I was coming in to complain about the heat, but then she screamed "THE ELECTRIC IS BACK ON SCOUT". No duh, Mama. See, everyone thinks that I'm not that bright, but I'm smarter than they think. They will learn.

Scout
The Greyhound Who Thinks Having No Electricity Isn't That Bad

We Are Doing Okay

Hi everyone, it's me, Scout. I am going to try and carrying on the blog for Jack, but it will be hard to fill his paws.

First of all, we want to thank everyone for their kind comments about Jack. We cried while reading the comments, but it has also been a comfort.

We are doing okay. Saturday and Sunday were terrible. Mama and Daddy cried so much. I sat on the couch with Mama almost the entire day on Sunday, which is not my normal thing. I usually sleep in the bedroom during the day, but I felt she needed me. Yesterday, Daddy went to work and Mama went to work in her home office. Mama cried several times yesterday, but the tears are not coming quite as often and they don't last as long, so we feel we are moving on in our grieving process. We are trying to create a new normal by changing our routine a little bit. Mama said it would be hard for Daddy when he came home and was only greeted by me. I tried to make it extra special for him. He didn't cry when he saw me, so I think I succeeded!

Mama and Daddy cried a little bit last night talking about Jack, but then they started laughing about things Jack used to do. Daddy got a toy out and started playing with me and Mama laughed even more. I can't make the toys come to life like Jack could. He would fling them high in the sky. He loved his stuffies. I try, but I just can do it like he could.

Mama and I are going to start doing meet and greets again. She says I need to get out and see other hounds. I'm more excited about the people. I love people! Mama also said we are going to start walking at night. I gave her a dirty look because if she thinks I'm going to walk in the heat, she is mistaken.

We are not changing the name of the blog because we are going to adopt a new brother or sister for me, but we haven't decided when. Mama brought it up on Sunday, but Daddy didn't say much. Last night, Mama said maybe we won't get one because it's so easy just taking care of me and I kind of like being the center of attention. Daddy said that I need a sibling, so it sounds like he may be thinking of adopting sooner than Mama thought. They both said that I get to help pick out my new sibling because we want one that I really like and one that will run with me. Mama said she would like a smaller grey than me because I'm big. I'm a female that weighs 85 pounds, actually a little less than that because I lost weight at the hotel. I'm taller than Jack was, so it's NOT like I'm obese, I'm just a "big boned" girl. LOL She wants a smaller only because it was hard to get Jack in the Jeep and that has been her fear all along if one of us got hurt.

I need to get back to bed, so I will close for now. Again, thank you for your comments about Jack. He is missed more than we can say.

Scout
The Greyhound Who Is Trying To Make Her Brother Proud

My Jack Is Gone

I'm typing to you with tears as I tell you that my Jack is gone. I know you are all as shocked as we are. He broke his femur this morning. We took him to the vet who took X-rays and then we were told to go to the emergency vet. It was determined that he had the dreaded cancer. I knew in my heart he would get it some day. There are so many greyhounds who do. We chose not to amputate because for one I had already decided if either of my greyhounds faced the cancer, I would not do that and for the second reason, it wasn't just in his leg.

I enjoyed every day with Jack. I really was thankful every day that he was healthy. The dog I had before him had lived for 15 years and probably the last three years, she had many ailments. I wanted to adopt a young dog and hoped I would have several healthy years with him. Jack was 2.5 years old when I adopted him. We had him for almost five years. It was not nearly long enough. He didn't live to see his 8th birthday. I was planning on teasing him about being a senior.
Jack was never sick.

My heart is broken. I'm not sure if I will continue the blog. Scout and my husband both say that she is blog worthy, but I just don't know if I can continue it right now. This was Jack's blog.

Jack was a dog that was full of life and had such character. He was funny. He had such a personality. He would get so excited over things that it sometimes drove me crazy, but I knew one day I would miss that and he's only been gone for an hour or so and our house is so quiet without our "Crazy Jack Erdman". That's what I called him. Erdman is our last name.

Jack was found abandoned in a barn in Kansas with 24 other greys. He was left to die. He was rescued and brought to St. Louis with four other greys. I walked him in a parade before we even considered adopting him. I wanted a fawn female. He was not scared of the bands, fire engines and people, so my husband said he seemed perfect. We planned on waiting a little while before we adopted him, but my husband was sent out of town for an unknown amount of time. I didn't want to be alone, so our greyhound group rushed our adoption through and we got him earlier than we planned. The first thing my husband said when he saw Jack in our house was "He looks a lot bigger in a house than he did at the store" and he did. I was so scared when we adopted him. He had big teeth. Our last dog was not a nice dog at all, so I was somewhat scared of this big buy. He was a gentle giant. I cleaned his teeth daily and although he wasn't fond of it, he let me do it without a problem.

I will leave you a favorite photo of my boy. This was taken in Abilene, KS at a fun run in June 2009. It was our favorite vacation with Jack and Scout. We were able to see them run and it brought tears to my eyes because Jack loved it.

Fly high sweetie, you will never be forgotten. I love you!

Patty,
The Mama of Jack The Greyhound