@QMS
for the caring and condolences. Thank you.

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Thanks for sharing.
We be caring.

@QMS
I'm very sorry he got murdered, because I think that was what it was, by the Ukrainian Nazis. And yea, 18 years old because he was born on leap day, that makes sense!

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US / Chilean ex-pat Gonzalo Lira entered the world.
Born in Burbank, CA. Educated at Dartmouth College.
Known most recently for political commentary on his U-tube channel.
He died last month in a Ukrainian prison for the crime of criticizing
the regime of Z.
He left behind a Ukrainian wife and 2 children.
This would have been his 18th birthday.

@on the cusp
And am very grateful for it. Lily got some hugs and some corn tortillas (the goats love them) today. So she's all paid up for another few minutes

please give Lily a hug from Aunt OTC. Since I have an unused hug in reserve, how about you getting it?

@enhydra lutris
I think she is romping with her auntie Reyna, before they relax into a hot tub with a couple of steaks, served by a very good looking doberman pincher. Right?

as the case may be.

be well and have a good one

edited for typo

@Lookout
Will Rogers quote. No dogs in heaven? Then I ain't going. A song about a dog named 'Sam' by Sturgill Simpson will not leave my head. The refrain contains the words 'But most of all he was my best friend, and he's gone too soon'. Exactly, Exactly.

Treasure your time together and all those happy memories. Funny how dogs capture our hearts and leave us too soon...such is the short life span of our canine companions.

So many wonderful dogs have passed through our lives.

Have a good week, and thanks for the OT!

@Tall Bald and Ugly
I think that is what will happen. Jaska never, ever was able to tolerate a lot of sadness. She liked people happy, she liked to be happy. So she would want me to get over the grief as soon as I can.

I really, really, really admire you for taking on a rescue dog. Hubby and I have talked about that too. Much admiration and respect for you!

easy, is it?
life is hard, living is dealing
with that fact
many condolences on Jaskas passing
17 years? Good f—king Job!
too few make it That far

I’m currently working a rescue
that lived free for the last year or so
a truly gentle soul I hope to re-socialize
so far so good

when they show up they
give a piece of their heart to you
when they go they take a piece
of yours

best wishes that your grief is brief
and your memories eternal

@randtntx
was a great arrangement. When I got Jaska, her mom's owner was very cautious. 'I have never had a puppy with so much energy, she's unstoppable. She has to be in a house with a large yard, at least,' the owner said. I batted my eyes. 'I have a small farm, 13 wide open acres, fenced all around'. And she smiled in delight, picked up Jaska and put her in my arms. Boy, Jaska and I were both very lucky, as you said.

Thank you for the wonderful thoughts. It's good to be reminded about how good, for all her life, living with Jaska was.

she was a beauty. So very sorry to hear she has passed Sima. She was so lucky to have you, you were so lucky to have her. I can imagine that was just a great arrangement...to live together on the farm. It appears to me that she thought it was a fantastic arrangement as well. Kudos to you and yours for giving her such a wonderful home. That counts for everything in my book.

@Cassiodorus
How anyone can look at what Israel is doing, and not see how it is yet another race/religion/expansion/whatever-hating genocide. I also don't get how anyone in the USA can think we are just going to continue 'normal' with Genocide Joe and Criminal Trump as the only assh&ts acceptable as president? What in the hell is wrong with us?

On my primary ballot, I'm writing in 'cease-fire' on the blank line, or maybe I'll check uncommitted.

Anyway, thanks for the post.

Oooh a two-state solution!

Zionists Use Food-Baits To Attract And Kill Starving Civilians

Meanwhile, in Michigan, Comcast keeps the show rolling while the real drama is inside corporate hq:

But it's not as if the situation in Gaza is salvageable. It's not. This is why #abandonbiden is not demanding anything from Biden (either). The plan is for Israel to tell the world: sorry about your cause, we killed them all. Thanks Joe for the weapons. Everyone else shut up and go home. Oh, and please adjust your maps of our terrain to reflect our newly-conquered territory.

That's the plan. At some point Netanyahu will be saying, "you're going to convict me of corruption after I increased the size of Israel?"

You really have to wonder what part of the word "genocide" the Comcast execs don't understand. All of the host-puppets on their networks are like, "how are we going to salvage Joe Biden's run for a second term?" These are people who are trying to save their jobs in a failing network supporting a failing President with the endorsement of a failing party. The billionaires who pull the strings, of course, do not care. They can pull other strings for other efforts after Trump becomes President again through their efforts.

And the global public will be singing, with Roger Waters: old timer, who ya gonna kill next?

What's heartening is the voice at the end saying "the cracks are there, there's no patching them up.."

@karl pearson
All of them . Thank you for reminding me of that. I will have quite a pack of dogs and other animals when I get there myself. We are going to romp all around the rainbow bridge! Thank you, again, for your wonderful comment. And I'm glad you liked Jaska's pics. She was a pretty dog!

Years ago, a veterinarian told me all dogs go to heaven. He was a wise vet. Enjoyed your pictures of Jaska.

@Dawn's Meta
That is a great insight there. Thank you for that! I think a new puppy will be here in a few months or so. Hubby and I have no kids, so, it's empty without a pup. I supposed we could let Lily back in the house, she's not much bigger than a dog (she's a very small goat) and she is house trained but... she really wants to live with her goatie brothers and sisters now. Heh.

Many hugs and much love in return!

Dogs grab our hearts don't they. They fit into our lives so effortlessly and with great flexibility and grace. They are miracles.

You gave Jaska a wonderful life and in return you were loved unconditionally. It is so hard to lose a cherished lovely dog pal.

Best to you and yours as you grieve your loss. And yes to new pups!

Love Dawn.

@snoopydawg
That image about grief exactly mirrors how I feel. When I feel a little hope, I then immediately feel guilty because the grief left for a bit. Ahh, how weirdly difficult emotions are. Thank you so much for your thoughts and lovely comment. And give Sam a pet and hug for me. And here's another hug for you too.

.

I’m so sorry that you lost your lovely Jaska. I know that you gave her the best life you possibly could and she was as happy as you could make her. I’m sure that you have so many happy memories of your time together and hopefully that eases the pain.

Take care and know that you are in my thoughts. Sam’s too.

@usefewersyllables
Having read your story, all I can do is weep. I have to admit, I am not that impressed with the vets I have available. The clinic used to be good, but its been taken over and become yet another franchise. I know of a traveling service here in my area, and if I have to, I'm using that in the future. Taking Jaska to the vet to be put down was awful. The nurses couldn't put the IV in correctly (although they seemed to have at first), and Jaska had to have two IVS. Two IVS to get the drug that would kill her. DAMN. At least she was asleep, due to the first shot (vet administered, so at least that worked).

I think, if I came home and got my pets and found them sick and close to death from being in vet associated (however much the vet clinic distances itself from the animal boarder) care I would go ballistic. When Jaska was young, I got her spayed, as one is supposed to do. At that time, she was going to a vet clinic where, it turned out after I asked around the community, the vet was a drunk! Well, they did the spay late (2 hours late, so the vet could drink, I guess) and then they wanted to keep Jaska in their kennel/cages over night. They had no night nurses, no night carers, no night supervision, nothing. But overnight in a cage all alone was supposed to be better than her being at home. I had a outright tantrum, right there in the waiting room. My husband showed up, and stood behind me, arms crossed, glowering. They gave in. We took Jaska home and she did fine. But... what kind of inhumane... I mean this was the vet, they were supposed to love animals and care about them!

I understand about your heart not being into it. I feel the same way at times, and then... I know Jaska would want me to 'move on'. And I know... well dogs, and cats, are just part of my life. So we'll be getting another one soon. And, eventually we'll adopt more cats too.

Many hugs, and thank you for commenting and giving your story. It's sad, but also affirming (or something, I'm not sure of the right word), to know that I'm not alone in unhappiness with vets. In fact, people, such as yourself, and their animals, have suffered much worse than I have.

when we lose our furry family members. My wife and I had to be out of town for a few days last fall, and we boarded our critters (14 and 10 year old dogs, 16 year old cat) at a local vet (not our usual vet) so they’d get good care. Or so we thought.

What we didn’t realize was that, despite sharing a front door, checkin desk, and roof, the boarding facility there had no actual connection to the vet clinic. So, when we picked them up, the oldest dog and the cat were in end-stage kidney failure, and the boarding people somehow hadn’t noticed.

So we had to put them down, both on the same day, via a visit from a traveling service called Lap of Love. And that is a vet office whose doorway we will most assuredly never darken again.

We just adopted another shelter dog as a companion for the 10-year-old, at my wife’s insistence. My heart isn’t really in it, not being a dog person, but I’ll make it work somehow. We will not be getting another cat- I just can’t do it again.

They say that the price of love is grief- and I can testify to the truth of that.