A tribute to little ‘E’

‘ELI’ – May 5, 1994- October 9 , 2010

ELI ( 6 WEEKS OLD) IN THE PICTURE ABOVE. HE WAS BORN IN MISSOURI AND WAS THE RUNT OF THE LITTER, I BOUGHT HIM FROM A FARM , NEAR THE OZARKS, WHILE I WAS LIVING IN KANSAS FOR THE SUMMER OF 94. HE HAS BEEN WITH US EVER SINCE. ELI WAS GRITTY AND SNAPPY, BUT WAS A GREAT LOVER AND COMPANION. MOST OF US THAT KNEW HIM, WERE AWARE OF HIS MOODS. HE BECAME A PART OF OUR EXTENDED FAMILY, AND LIVED AN EXCITING LIFE, AND VISITED MANY PARTS OF THE COUNTRY. HE LIVED IN NJ, NY, FLA, NORTH CAROLINA, CONN, AND KANSAS.

SINCE WE MOVED ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO, ELI HAS BEEN JUST SORT OF LIVING OUT HIS LIFE AND WE WERE ALL HAPPY TO SEE HIM EVERYDAY, EVEN THOUGH HE WAS JUST LAYING AROUND, HE STILL ATE WELL, DRANK A LOT OF WATER, AND HAD HIS DIAPER CHANGED ALL DAY LONG. THAT WAS THE PLAN, AS LONG AS HE WAS NOT IN PAIN.
THIS PAST WEEK, MY WIFE AND I KNEW THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG. IT IS NOT HARD TO TELL, ELI STOPPED EATING, STOPPED DRINKING AND WITHIN JUST A FEW DAYS, LOST 1/3 OF HIS BODY WEIGHT, ABOUT 10 POUNDS. HIS SPINE WAS PROTRUDING AND HE WAS TOTALLY MALNOURISHED/DEHYDRATED. OF COURSE, I BROUGHT HIM RIGHT OVER TO THE VET, WHERE THEY KNOW HIM WELL. THEY SIMPLY CONFIRMED WHAT WAS HAPPENING. I LEFT THINKING WE WOULD SPEND THE REST OF THE WEEKEND TOGETHER AND GET TO LOVE HIM, BUT SOON AFTER WE RETURNED FROM THE VET, ELI BEGAN TO WALK IN CIRCLES AND BECAME EXTREMELY DISORIENTED. WITHIN MINUTES, HE WAS LAYING DOWN AND HIS HEART BEGAN TO STOP BEATING, HE WAS SLIGHTLY FOAMING AND WE KNEW IT WAS TIME, HE WAS TELLING US. MY BUDDY, RUSHED OVER HERE AND WE TOOK HIM 15 MINUTES AWAY TO RED BANK ANIMAL HOSPITAL. IT WAS 9 PM AND THEY WERE READY FOR US, I SPENT 5 MINUTES WITH HIM ALONE AND THEY CAME IN AND ADMINISTERED THE MEDICATION THAT WOULD PUT HIM TO SLEEP. IT WAS LITERALLY 3 SECONDS AND HE WAS GONE….IT WAS SO PEACEFUL, I WEEPED OVER HIM FOR ANOTHER 5 MINUTES, AND WAS SO GLAD THAT HE WAS NO LONGER STRUGGLING TO BREATHE, HE WAS GONE AND IT WAS TIME. IT WAS PERFECT, THE WAY IN WHICH HE LIVED AND DIED.
WE BROUGHT OUR OWN PET COFFIN, THE VET TECHS WRAPPED HIM IN MY BLANKET AND PLACED HIM INTO THE CASKET, WE DROVE HIM HOME, FURTHER DRESSED THE CASKET, GAVE HIM A FEW MORE KISSES AND THEN WE SHUT THE LID. WE PROCEEDED TO THE BACK PART OF OUR PROPERTY WHERE, EALIER IN THE DAY, I HAD THE LANDSCAPERS DIG A 4 FT DEEP HOLE. I GOT IN THE HOLE AND MY BUDDY HANDED ME THE COFFIN AND GENTLY LAID HIM TO REST. WE FILLED THE HOLE WITH DIRT AND LIT 2 CANDLES, THEY BURNED THROUGH THE NIGHT AND THE NIGHT WAS CLEAR, WITH STARS. NOW HE LAYS OUTSIDE UNDER A HUGE MAPLE TREE AND NEXT TO A POND AND WATERFALL. HIS GRAVE IS MARKED BY 2 PIECES OF SLATE, THAT ARE FLUSH WITH THE GROUND.
WHAT A LIFE!!