my silver fox

Jacques Cartier de Morbier- Spring 2005

It was sunny and lovely on my drive home on Tuesday. I drove by the playfield and got very sad. It was Jacques favorite place to take a walk. It was a small playfield enclosed and with many trees and good smells. He could amble and snorfle and take his sweet time enjoying life. It wasn't a work out for us, it was just a nice way to spend a half hour talking, watching and chilling. We were never in hurry with Jacques, you couldn't be. He was a very thorough basset (detail-oriented in fact). Yes, when you were trying to get him to go out and do his business and it was cold, it could be exasperating, but still it was okay.

Jacques was not our dog his whole life, he came to us as a middle-aged dog. We did know him his from "tiny stand on your ears" puppyhood and had the honor of extended visits while his master travelled. When his master became homebound, Jacques was his constant companion. He kept his master's attendants walked and kept everyone's spirits up, including ours on our frequent visits South.

We were honored to have him come and live with us and even his cat begrudgingly came to love him.

We lost Jacques in June, one month after his beloved cat died. It was the hardest month I have lived through. I miss them both, especially on days that I come home to a quiet house with no noses appearing in the hall as I open the front door. I miss him especially on the days when I often think "it would be good to be a basset sitting on your couch catching the last rays of sunlight on a fall day". I just miss him and his sister terribly most days.

I hope one day to get another dog (probably another basset) and another cat (something that is as interactive as his cat), but I feel like I need to start remembering more of the good times with Jacques and not thinking of his last days. He filled such a large part of my heart and home that it will be hard to get a dog that will be like him. I guess I should just get over this feeling.phase and realize that every dog is special, no two are the same.

I wish you could have all met him, he was a good guy.

nm