Hide & Seek

Playing hide & seek with one of the locals

phasianus colchicus 

The Most Loyal Roman of Them All

It is my sad duty to say after a short illness, Chico passed away a short while ago. As with everything he did in the ten years i knew him, he put his own stamp on how he died. Defence of his ground was still a duty he would not shirk, when walking became a hard labour patrols around the house were still conducted & perceived treats were still responded to, only when i put him in his house so he would not be guarding in the rain,did i not receive a welcome home from work.

Down the years there have been so much laughter, scratches & bruises when we would play a highly stylised mock fight, which was so much fun & believe me invaluable on a number of occasions when the real thing happened while training dogs & tears at the end. I guess i miss my friend. Even after over a week it is still so tough to write this but if anyone deserved it he did. I think a few lines from one of my favorite poems sums it up.

The Power of the Dog. Kipling

Though it is not always the case, i believe
That the longer we've kept'em, the more do we grieve;

For when debts are payable, right or wrong,
A short-time loan is as bad as a long-
So why in heaven ( before we are there )
Should we give our hearts to a dog to tear?