Saying Goodbye

It was a beautiful Saturday morning and one which we would use to say goodbye to Ashby. Quincy and I picked up Ashby’s ashes earlier in the week, and we had planned on having him buried somewhere on the property. Today was the day.

I made a keepsake DVD of Ashby pictures set to Celtic music which we purchased in Nova Scotia on one of our vacations. We watched that this morning. I had already watched it before, as had Quincy, but Dara hadn’t seen it yet. I thought I was doing better with things, but was not able to stay in the room for the whole video. After that, I went outside to dig the hole.

The picture with this post is where Ashby is buried. It is a really nice spot in the front yard. Dara wrapped his remains in the towel that Ashby came to us with from Nova Scotia all those years ago. To add insult to injury – the towel is a Toronto Maple Leafs towel. I had forgotten that.

Dara had also typed up a list of things about Ashby that we loved about him, and she read that outside. We put the piece of paper and some flowers in the hole with him and then filled in the hole. We ordered a slate tablet with his name and dates on it that we’ll place over the dirt patch when it comes.

We were very happy to have had Ashby for 10 years, but at the same time, very upset that things had to end the way they did. Quincy is fine with everything and wants to get another dog “tomorrow”, but there’s no way Dara and I are remotely close to even thinking about that. Time will makes things easier, but for now, we’re content to remember the fun times that Ashby brought to the family.

25 Good Things about Ashby

• He was a good swimmer and it was fun to watch him swimming.
• He made us go for walks and it was fun to go on walks with him, especially if Quincy got to hold the leash.
• He let Quincy make a “hole” around him (made out of pillows or stuffed animals), usually without running away.
• He came over to greet us with his tail wagging and to sniff and lick Quincy when we arrived home from any outing or when
• Quincy got up in the morning.
• He was so patient with Quincy and was never aggressive towards him.
• He let Quincy hug and tackle him.
• He usually obeyed our commands.
• He liked to roll around and rub his face on the rug or grass.
• He provided companionship and was a good listener.
• He was nice to us 99% of the time.
• He was beautiful as an adult dog and adorable as a puppy.
• He was very smart.
• He had a nice smile.
• He had “people eyes.”
• He had soft fur that was nice to snuggle against.
• He loved to race back to the house at high speed when he was taken off leash.
• He was always glad to come home after being at the kennel.
• He loved the snow.
• He was a useful guard dog, always alerting us to the presence of a stranger on our property.
• He accepted anyone that we welcomed into our home as a friend.
• He was friends with Gus and it was fun to watch them play together.
• He cleaned up the crumbs under the table.
• His toenails made a clicking sound on the floor when he would walk around the house.
• His collar jingled when he walked.
• He enjoyed being around his people.