he had his canned food with kathy, and tim bits with zoe and her friends and half an hour later he had a major stroke. and i am shutting the place down for tonight, no calls, no visitors, just us, here now.
thx.
zoe...if you would like to share the story of bill and being there with him, please feel free.
sweet old man bill.
everytime we visited, you were pleased to welcome us with a laughing face and a wagging tail- even like last time, if your front leg was a bit stiff, you still got up to greet us with that toothy grin only a lab can make. you even put up with copper budging in for a fuss when you were getting TOO much attention (according to copper, anyway). and even when we INSISTED you went back to your couch, since moving WAS a little hard on that front leg that day, you still grinned and had a belly laugh.
especially when we called you Bill, and told you how handsome you were. you still smiled. and joined us, again, outside with the rockstar for a very long, carefully planned wee.
you're just as much as the bones of saints as ellie mae, copper, moses, jazz, percy, all the dogs, cats, all the animals i have met at saints and through carol who i loved, remembered, and thought about all the time.
i think that you did try to plan it, bill. even if, as we all know, no one has control over these things and how they happen, or even when, not even dogs. but being an old boy never makes it any easier- it just makes it harder. we expected it, bill, but we didn't want it to happen, ever.
we love you, old man.
I am so, so sorry to hear this. Bill was the very essence of SAINTS, he was as integral a part of it as the buildings, the fields, the pond, and Carol herself.
Oh Bill, the place won't be the same without you. May your spirit watch over Saints and the memories of you help ease the pain of those who knew you.
Carol,
I am so sad to hear about Bill as he was my number one favourite Saint...You gave him such an amazing life and he and Jazz are now watching over you and the rest of the group at SAINTS.