Keesha
Freedom
The heavens opened with a gift that sent almost all of us on the Kenai roads off the road. “Rainbow!” I yelped to Keesha and swerved off to the side of the road. “Wow. A full, double rainbow! Two of them!” Every car on the road stopped to gape open-jawed at the beauty before us. Read the rest of this entry »
Be Specific with Your New Year’s Resolutions
I almost skipped the Dempster Highway and headed for the Homer, Alaska. My heart and my body wanted a rest, to sit near the ocean and stop driving. But when I arrived a few kilometers outside Dawson City, Yukon, my hands turned the wheel and I veered north. The road quickly degenerated from blacktop to rough pavement, to a gravel, rock slate mix that rose many feet above the permafrost. Took concentration and dedicated purpose to drive that road.
Eagle Plains is an oasis at the halfway point. There’s a service station, a hotel with a lounge and a helipad. Inside the service station is a mountain of tires travelers need to repair the tires the Dempster ate. Tents and RVs cluster around a dusty lot on the north end, housing those who haven’t given in to the lure of a soft bed after jolting along the rocky highway. Read the rest of this entry »
Eagle Plains is an oasis at the halfway point. There’s a service station, a hotel with a lounge and a helipad. Inside the service station is a mountain of tires travelers need to repair the tires the Dempster ate. Tents and RVs cluster around a dusty lot on the north end, housing those who haven’t given in to the lure of a soft bed after jolting along the rocky highway. Read the rest of this entry »
Loss, Anchors, and Commitment
After a week without Keesha, I find that I miss just talking with her. Sure, dogs don’t “talk” back in the same way a human does. But she was my confidant. And an anchor in my life. Having her to be responsible for grounded me and gave my days a structure, a purpose even, a commitment I made and kept.
Two days after Keesha died was the day after Thanksgiving. My parents and I walked around my old hometown during the annual Christmas walk. People strolled the streets, carolers sang on the sidewalk, the shoe repair shop I worked at during high school had a rowdy bunch singing heartily, stores gave out treats, the volunteer fire department’s doors were open with their shiny red trucks parked outside.
I watched people with their dogs and longed for Keesha to be walking with me on this night when dogs get to go in the stores. With Keesha at my side, I’d have so many more conversations. I’d have plastic bags in my coat pocket and a travel bowl so she could drink water. And I’d have to get home, to make sure she was fed. It’s one way my commitment to her anchored and shaped my days. Read the rest of this entry »
Two days after Keesha died was the day after Thanksgiving. My parents and I walked around my old hometown during the annual Christmas walk. People strolled the streets, carolers sang on the sidewalk, the shoe repair shop I worked at during high school had a rowdy bunch singing heartily, stores gave out treats, the volunteer fire department’s doors were open with their shiny red trucks parked outside.
I watched people with their dogs and longed for Keesha to be walking with me on this night when dogs get to go in the stores. With Keesha at my side, I’d have so many more conversations. I’d have plastic bags in my coat pocket and a travel bowl so she could drink water. And I’d have to get home, to make sure she was fed. It’s one way my commitment to her anchored and shaped my days. Read the rest of this entry »
Travels with Keesha – The Last Days
Yesterday morning, Keesha left her body and crossed the rainbow bridge. It's been one day and I keep expecting her to nudge me and sing a bit asking to go out.
Keesha is a once-in-a-lifetime dog for me. My soul companion of over 10 years in so many adventures. Climbing Mt. Elbert in Colorado and Medicine Bow in Wyoming. Meditating on the shores of Lake Superior and camping along the Temperance River. Thanksgivings and Christmases in Glen Ellyn and Winter Park. And of course, Travels with Keesha across Canada and up through the Yukon, crossing the Arctic Circle into the Northwest Territories. Then on to Alaska, taking the ferry back and driving back across the Western US. And many more - too many to list. Our mantra was "on the road again" and we were happy in the tent together. Read the rest of this entry »
Keesha is a once-in-a-lifetime dog for me. My soul companion of over 10 years in so many adventures. Climbing Mt. Elbert in Colorado and Medicine Bow in Wyoming. Meditating on the shores of Lake Superior and camping along the Temperance River. Thanksgivings and Christmases in Glen Ellyn and Winter Park. And of course, Travels with Keesha across Canada and up through the Yukon, crossing the Arctic Circle into the Northwest Territories. Then on to Alaska, taking the ferry back and driving back across the Western US. And many more - too many to list. Our mantra was "on the road again" and we were happy in the tent together. Read the rest of this entry »
Old Friends
I wrote this in 2001, after my best friend Duncan - the shepherd-husky-hound, Chicago street pup - left this earth, We think we will remember and you know, we do. Or I do. I still miss her. I offer this to all of you who've lost a four-legged loved one. Read the rest of this entry »