Archives for February 2008

View the Entire Flickr Set of Photos here

Welcome back to Photo Friday – my little way of taking a break from San Francisco Real Estate and instead blogging about our great City’s past instead. All photos are published with permission from the San Francisco History Center and San Francisco Public Library.
This week’s post really has nothing to do with San Francisco history, except that this all happened in San Francisco. Most of the photos just aren’t that old, or historical, except for the fact that they are part of the history of my life. I tend to not share things that are very personal on my blog, but this time, I thought I’d make an exception.
Those of you that know me know that I love dogs. I have been called the crazy dog lady, and I probably am.
I have three amazing dogs. They’re put bull mixes that my boyfriend and I rescued many many years ago. There names are Powder, Lace and Ohm. Powder and Lace are sisters and Ohm is Powder’s puppy – she was an accident that happened when a boy dog we had rescued came home and had his way with our girls, leaving Powder with a litter of 5 adorable puppies, and Ohm’s the one we kept. Powder was an amazing momma dog. In fact, Powder was an amazing dog in every regard.
Powder passed away at home this Wednesday night, the 20th.
My heart is absolutely broken and there’s a void there that I know no other dog will ever be able to fill. But I thought sharing my love for her with readers of this blog would somehow help ease the pain of this loss a little – and would let other people know just what an amazing dog she was.
Powder was my first real dog. From the moment my boyfriend brought her home with her brother and sister (my boyfriend’s mom later took the brother), Powder picked me to be her human. We named her Powder because she was soft and fluffy like powder.
She was sweet and loving from the moment she opened her eyes. She was goofy too – in a sweet and gentle kind of way. She adored her sister Lace, and when she had a litter of puppies, she was the most caring and nurturing momma dog I have ever seen.
From puppyhood, we knew she was amazingly smart. She not only responded to all of the basic commands, but picked up extra random words. She would pick up her pace when you told her to “hurry.” She would wiggle with excitement when I would tell her that I “Love Powder” and she’s wiggle with even more excitement when I’d tell her that I “Fat Love Powder.” She also had this little underbite, and occasionally, her lip would get stuck in an awkward position that made her look like a monkey – and when I’d tell her she was a “Monkey Mouth”, she’d quickly lick her lips to fix her lips.
Powder was even sweeter than she was smart. She was an incredibly loving dog – not just to my boyfriend and me, but to strangers (kids and adults alike). She was also remarkably loving to her sister and puppy. She would constantly kiss them. When those two got in trouble for not listening, she’d lay next to them and give them kisses as if to say “it’s ok”. She looked after both of them as if they were both her own pups. She made them feel the world wasn’t so big and scary. For that matter, I think she made me feel the world wasn’t so big and scary. I could always count on her to give me a reassuring kiss or cuddle when I had a hard day. She made me feel loved every moment that I was with her.
Powder also had a sense of humor. I know, you non-dog people probably think that’s nuts, but it’s true. When I’d sneak up and her and spook her, she’d do this funny wiggle, skip movement that was just like a laugh. She’d wag her little nub (she had no tail) and would run over to give me a kiss. She knew what was funny.
I could go on and on about how special Powder was. In my eyes, she was perfect. I know for a fact that she was perfect for me. It’s hard to say “was”. It’s hard to believe that she’s gone. I look around my house that I just moved into and even though the other two dogs are here, the house just feels empty. In fact, without Powder, my house just doesn’t feel like a home.
But, no matter how empty and sad and lonely and crushed I feel today, a friend sent me a little saying that made me feel just a wee bit better:
“I think not how sad it will be when you are gone, but rather how empty it would have been had you never come.”
Powder made my life full and complete for 11 short years. She left me with a lifetime of memories that will warm my heart each time I think of her and the smart, goofy, sweet or loving things she did. I’ll likely shed a tear each time I think of her, but I wouldn’t trade a moment of the joy I had with her to erase the pain and sadness I feel right now.
If you have a dog, a cat, a pet you love dearly – give them an extra cuddle today. Let them drool on the couch. Take them on a extra walk. Don’t get upset when they scratch up your floor. When they’re gone one day, you’ll never regret the extra little leeway you gave them or the extra little bit of love they got. In fact, it’ll be those moments that will make you feel like somehow, they are still there with you.
To my little Monkey Mouth Powder Momma – I love you dearly. I’ll always love you. No dog will ever come close to bringing me the joy you brought me. While I can’t believe that I’ll never get to see you, pet you, kiss you or cuddle with you again, I know that you’ll always be in my heart and because of that, you’ll always be with me. I miss you more than you know. May you rest in peace knowing that you truly were (and in my heart are) the perfect dog.