Monday, September 1

I just reread the very first posting I made on April 6th for this blog, which was to cover my sixth road trip with my dogs, Leben and Erde.  You can read that post by clicking here.  In it, I wrote (underscore just added):

Leben and Erde turned 13 a week ago and I am extremely mindful of how lucky I am to have had two wonderful German shepherd (GSD) siblings for 13 years. But because of that, and the fact that GSDs have a life expectancy of 12 years, I am also mindful that one or both of them may not be with me in two days, let alone four months, or may not be able to make the journey. I will, however, dismiss that possibility and plan a trip somewhere.

 I now wish my words had been more specious than prescient.  Four months to the very day that I wrote those words, Leben was two days from being put down.

I have only two purposes for this upcoming journey. The first, of course, is to get on with life with Erde and give her the best final months or years that any dog could hope for. The second is to keep Leben's spirit with me so that I can continue to record everything I wish to remember about him and his sister, and there is so much that was good to remember, especially about our road trips together. Thus, I am leaving up here all of the references to both dogs that I made previously on this blog.  Erde now represents the team I spent so many good days with, 4817 days to be exact.  And just as I provided Leben these last few years with some of the means to carry on life as he knew it before, becoming part-dog myself, so that will I provide Erde with the means for her to carry on life as she knew it before.  I'm not too sure I know what providing those means will require, but I hope to find out soon enough.*

Today, I load the Defender with all of the vehicle equipment, and then start packing in earnest.  Tomorrow I will finish packing and do the final paperwork for the trip. Early Wednesday, I will load the Defender, go back to get Erde, and say one more time, "Let's go for a ride, guys, a long ride" and then head off somewhere in the direction of the northwest.

ED

* One role I know I am going to have to play is Erde's water-buddy.  Wherever these was water to be found, the two of them would run right for it and then start barking at each other.  I could never figure out why they barked like that at each other.  I think it was because they were just so happy they needed to do something to express it.  I have no idea how I am going to fulfil the role that Leben played, but if there's a way for me to do it, I will.