After reading my previous post about celestial hand-holding, my college roommate Bob sent this photo of my dog Bart in front of our modest house in Gainesville, Fla. He said that maybe it wasn't any hand that was holding mine as I drifted in La La Land for four days after a series of seizures and heart attacks. He suggested it may have been a paw of my dear-departed dog Bart who was our fourth roomie at the time. Bart was an Irish Setter-Lab mix that I got for a Christmas present when I lived in Boston. He was everybody's pal, but not every dog's. Our landlady's dog Joe, a one-eyed misshapen cur, would start a fight every time he saw Bart. Or maybe Bart started it, who knows? Bart disappeared while staying at my parents' house in Daytona while I looked for a pet-friendly dwelling in my new home in Denver. He disappeared one night and never returned. I got the phone call on a frigid fall night and I was distraught for a very long time. Bob's comments cheered me because he may be right, my dog Bart was telling me that it was OK to stay on Planet Earth for a while longer as we would be playing ball or frisbee in the Great Beyond for eternity. That comforted me. Here's the photo Bob sent. Bart in repose. Hella dog, Bart. Be seeing you.
2 comments:
Yes, Bart was a special dog! When I was looking for roommates, my landlady, Stormy, was going out of town and told me just to be sure I did not pick a new roommate with a dog. Then Mike and Bart showed up and, well, I had no choice. Even Stormy grew to like Bart. How could you not? One day I took Bart with me to the Mini Mart on old 441 (NW 13th St). As we got up to the store, there was a man on a motorcycle. Not the typical small bike that students used to get around in. No, this could have been a cover shot for a Hell's Angel's poster. And the man would have fit right in. So, of course, Bart walks up to the front tire of the motorcycle, lifts his leg, and pees on it while the man sits there watching. My life flashed before my eyes and I wondered just how painful the beating would be. I try to shoo Bart away and apologize to the Bike. He looks at me and says,"Hey, no problem". That I can only attribute to the Power of Bart!
Hi Mike, Lili here. Coming across the news about your ordeal after moving to Florida , I want to let you know how happy to learn you survived this life threatening infection. How fortunate you have Chris and family around you.
Wishing you continued heath and strength.
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