Goodbye Kaiser

Kaiser went to the big dog park in the sky yesterday. Old age had caught up to him at last and he was laid to rest before the worst could come. He was two months short of 12 years. 12 years! Can you remember what you were doing 12 years ago? I happened to be 20 and beginning my junior year at UMD. Perfect time to get a dog right? Time has flown by. There of course have been a few (ok maybe more than a few) knocked over garbage cans, missing loaves of bread, run-ins with various small mammals (e.g., skunks, porcupines), roll-o-ramas in poop/dead things, etc to add weight on one side of the scale. On the other hand, his entertainment potential was huge (e.g. rumbling gait, propensity to lick clean spots on the floor, his summer haircut, etc) and of course there was his deep (often melodic) howl every time you came home. He was also the great protector who scared away that creep trying to get into Tiffy's old house while Brenda was taking a nap. Most of all he was my wilderness companion. We walked many a mile; ate next to many campfires; and slept side by side under cloudy, rainy, hot-mosquito infested, cold-snowy, and clear skies. It's safe to say that we've been through thick and thin.

I took yesterday off to focus on Kaiser before his journey. We took one last walk along the railroad tracks by Brown's Creek north of Stillwater. Even though the pace was less than a mile per hour, the old Kaiser was still there. He had his spark and still wanted run down the ravine to the cool and shade of the stream; oblivious to the fact that it would be impossible to get back. With some guidance we made our way to an accessible spot and I helped him get into his old hole for a dip and drink. He was happy and for a moment age had been erased. On our way to vet he asked me to thank all the people that helped take care of him over the years and apologize to any enemies that he might have made along the way.

I'd like to think that this DP in the sky has a few amenities to your liking buddy: miles of trees, grass, and water; rabbits to chase and beaver to swim after; bushes that bear strange fruit such as loaves of bread, sticks of butter, steaks, and the odd 1-1/2lb chunk of summer sausage conveniently located at head level; no ticks or deer flies; and a constant temperature of 40 degrees with a sunny spot for a little warmup and nap. Goodbye Kaiser.