R.I.P. Max

Yes, my devoted border collie has died. He died June 16. We knew it was a matter of time. In the last several months he lost his hearing and he had started losing weight. Larry had kept asking me if we didn't need to put him down. I kept putting if off. And yes I miss him.

I missed him last week especially. Ruby doesn't work for me like Max did. I could point in a direction or speak "Pen Up" and he knew what I wanted. We just clicked.  Like I said I missed him on Friday. I was in the yard picking up the hundreds of small limbs that fell in the storm while I was gone. As I am rounding the far corner of the house with an armful what do I meet? Hogs! They had gotten the yard gate lifted off the hinges and were in the yard. I went and got the rubber pipe we use to herd them. And commenced to run them out of the yard. I thought I had them all out and here comes one around the house. Out you go! I managed to get the gate back on the hinges and started back to the job at hand. When I hear the gate rattle. Yup, they did it again. I give up. I call in reinforcement. "Larry, could you come home for a minute and help me?"  And he did. All taken care of. But if Max was alive those hogs would have been out that gate and on their way!

He was just special. He would sleep right outside the door like he wanted to be as close to us as possible. He hated thunderstorms. Thunder and lightening would set him to trembling. Many a time we have put him in the garage to ride out a storm.  In fact the last two winters he spent a lot of cold nights in the garage and on the mat right by the door. Of course.

Larry brought Max home from work one day. At the time work was a sand mining plant and Max was chasing the large haul trucks. Larry knew he wouldn't survive doing that and asked if anyone knew he belonged to. He didn't have a collar so he assumed he might be a stray. He has entertained many people as he spun when they drove by. You see we have a fence. He loved chasing anything that made noise. A clanking trailer. A truck full of boys whistling and calling him. Etc. He would hear them coming and race off the back porch to meet them and would spin until they got even and then take off -- always in the right direction to chase or race them. And believe you me you didn't want to be in his path! When we got Ruby she had to find out the hard way. LOL And even I was run over when he came off the porch like a shot one time. We have been told by so many people when we are giving directions to our house. Oh, I know where you live! You live where the spinning dogs lives.

I called my kids to let them know of Max's passing. After all he was our family pet for 13 years.  The morning after he died I heard a commotion in the yard before sun up. I had just let Sissy out to do her business. But it didn't sound like her or Ruby. Well, it wasn't. Someone had put a stray over our fence into our yard. We'd had two puppies "arrive" in our yard the same a couple of years ago. This one a little female. Two to three month hold. Not a border collie. A mixed breed of some sort. Not sure what mixture. Larry immediately welcomed her to my dismay.  This all happened during quilt show/booth, Father's Day, step-dad's surgery.  When I got home I convinced him we had two perfectly good dogs and she would make someone else a good pet.  Some people may not want to hear this but we took her to our nearby shelter. She was a sweetheart and I did consider keeping her. But she wouldn't leave Sissy alone for one minute. She thought she was a play toy. Poor Sissy. So hopefully she is finding a good family that will love her. She would love kids.  Oh, I gotta tell you. I called my daughter after the new doggy "arrived" and asked if DGD Aimee had prayed for a new dog. You see when their beautiful black cat had to put down due to a serious illness she prayed and asked God for a new kitty. The next day there was one looking in their storm door.  DD Amanda said no she didn't think Aimee had prayed for another dog. I don't know. God listens to her prayers. Maybe I should get with her and us pray for a dog a lot like Max.  Yeah, I think that's a good idea.

Blessings,
Marilyn