Yes, it has been 10 days since the last post. We’ve been traveling, and while I’ve written about 10 posts in my head, none have made it to reality. The pipeline is full, but all those ideas will have to wait because of what happened today.

Doodle is our 14 yr old Chihuahua. Our first child. The dog that converted this tough hombre into a small dog fan. The dog that got Kymberlee through the pain of separation and end of her first marriage. The dog that travelled with us from California to Tennessee.

Occasionally, I’ve brought up the idea of doggie succession planning only because we all know the end will come. It will be an emotionally frightful end for Kymberlee and yes, I will shed many tears as well, but perhaps not publicly.

So it was painful today when we awoke to Doodle’s labored breathing and lethargic demeanor. Kymberlee took him to the vet and after an x-ray, they decided to run more tests and keep him overnight in a doggy ICU with oxygen pipe in. He’ll likely live through this, but this was a hard blow of reality that Doodle’s last days are upon us. Three months? Six months? A year? We don’t know, but we can see it coming now.

Coming home to a dog-less house today is a dreadfully foreboding hint of what it will be like when Doodle is gone. It seems almost silly to put this much emotional value on a dog, but those who have had beloved pets know the pain. It will be an interesting journey through this valley of the shadow of death.