October 31st, 2010
It is Halloween…one of Josie’s favorite holidays, mainly because our doorbell rings constantly for 2 straight hours. I am sure she is thinking….”Does it get any better than this?” She lays on the rug in front of the door just waiting for the next goblin to appear on the walkway leading to the house. As soon as she sees a little monster she jumps to attention and frightens them with her Great Dane bark! I open the door to the little trick or treaters, allow her to poke her head out and get a whiff of them and introduce her….”This is Josie, The Greatest Dane”….most kids want to pet her and some will notice that “She only has 1 leg!”….I am used to explaining it to kids that she really has 3, but only one in front. Kids just love her gentle nature. They also tend to notice her “bareness” before most adults. It is quite adorable to see them bend down and look under her chest as if she is hiding her leg under an invisible skirt or something.
It has been 7 ½ months now and our life has moved on….we are as normal as we can be….for now. We have all adapted well to Josie’s new way of life, her bounce and her itchy right shoulder blade. She had her left leg and left shoulder blade removed in March and ever since has developed the itchiest right shoulder imaginable! She knows that she can’t scratch it on her own or she will topple over, so, she usually will stand and stare at me until I go to her side and dig in deep with both hands and scratch the muscley shoulder area….simultaneously….my nails touch her skin, her lips quiver and her right rear leg taps uncontrollably…ahhh relief!
Josie is and always has been loved and adored by all who meet her. Now everyone that meets her wants to know her story. Sometimes I feel like a broken record but I am a proud Momma, and I happy that she is here with me, hopping along, either by my side or trailing behind, smelling all the smells life has to offer an awesome, spoiled dog. I tend to worry over her…every sneeze, loose stool, tiniest little gag…..I fear that the cancer has come back….and that it will only be a matter of time. I find myself spooning with her quite often as she sprawls out on the floor to get a good stretch…Yep, there I am, nuzzling in behind her to smell her fur, kiss her soft ear, to take in as much of her into my memory bank so that I can smell her her once she is gone. I try to think of a way that I can bottle her scent…her stinky dog ear smell….I know I am crazy, but I love her. And I cry…I cry because I don’t know what it will be like to not have her in my life….I will feel so empty….
But….for now, she is great! And I mean GREAT!!! She is happy all the time! Her tail is wagging more now than ever before!! She loves to go for long walks and still takes forever to get back to the truck when we are done. It is the Dane in her, she is stubborn as a mule….I have to remind myself to be patient with her, because once she is gone, I will wish I could be waiting on her to jump in the back of that truck.
The snow will be flying soon here in Wisconsin and we love our daily winter walks….I wonder if her front paw will get cold faster now. There have been a few little things I have noticed that have changed since her amputation and this winter will be yet another new experience for us. I don’t want to rush things, but, I can hardly wait! She needs to stay strong so we can enjoy a lot more time together! But, so far, so good…..
Josie loves life, she loves her human sister Brittany, her fur sister Gully and she loves her Momma…to me, that one word describes her best….yes, Josie is…Love….