As I walk down a fresh raw memory lane, these are just a few things I can share about Howie.

Howie would leap in the air to catch his frisbee and with joy leap even more when he welcomed us home. He would fiercely chase the squirrels and then wonder where they had gone when they disappeared up a tree. This was the other side of our “wonder” dog. 😊

His best effort was given in pursuit of a herd of deer until the buck gave a clear indication that it wasn’t a good idea. Howie turned away on a dime! With his tail tucked and ears peeled back he gave his little, short legs a run for his life, back home where David and Steven were witnesses to this scary but hilarious event.

He stood to guard over strangers and had an instinct of who belonged and who didn’t, except for UPS, FEDX, or any large delivery truck.  He never understood they were the good guys. I believe his distaste for them was engrained while abandoned at the airport. He really did try to contain himself and did pretty well at times. Now it does my heart good to think he could be chasing all the delivery trucks he wants. When he catches them he will find they are good guys after all. They are delivering doggy treats for every wagging tail; him first.

He loved everyone and played with their dogs regardless of their size. However, when several dogs were competing for my attention he would stand guard in my lap or by my side and let them know who I belonged to. Although he wasn’t considered a lap dog, when he did sit in a lap, David was chosen most frequently. He seemed very content there for a while. If David left for a moment he saw that as his grand opportunity to steal the seat.

He would only chase the cats that ran from him and loved on the ones that didn’t. Howie spread his love and joy everywhere he went. He especially enjoyed his trips to Lowe’s Hardware Store where they told him how cute he was and would treat him to a doggy biscuit. He would strut around like he owned the place. He was small in stature but he didn’t know it. He was the biggest creature on the planet!

Many of our church family met and loved Howie. After greeting everyone who came for our group Bible studies, he would settle down so we could have our time together. We noticed that he stayed closer to one particular group member than others. We no longer wondered why, when our friend, Donald, disclosed the doggy treats he carried in his pocket and doled out to Howie throughout the evening. Howie knew a real dog lover when he met him.

Through God’s perfect timing, Howie was instrumental in meeting my friend Pati. David and I took him to the doggy park just before releasing my second book “Blue Skies, Butterflies & Battlegrounds”. Pati was exactly the helper that I didn’t even know I needed. She was experienced in book promotions, and blogs, and has a wealth of talents she could now use for me. She had become widowed a little less than a year prior. On that special day, she had decided that a trip to the dog park with her furry puppy companion would help lift her spirit. Pati had a renewal of purpose and was highly motivated to help me who was clueless in her area of expertise. Pati was the “hummingbird” zipping along and I was the “butterfly” floating along taking in what I could grasp. Although Howie and Kippy did not become best friends, they served a greater purpose. They were the reason Pati and I connected. I think of that day every time I drive by the park.

Howie was David’s assistant overseeing the building of our new church sanctuary. Although he didn’t see its completion, I’m sure of Howie’s confidence that they would certainly install a doggy door.

Please keep the doggy door in mind as we continue with this story.

Each of our family members were a big part of Howie’s joy. We will share those treasured memories together for years to come. Wonder-filled life for certain…

In my effort to go forward in healing, I will tell only a little of Howie’s passing.

Howie was aging. Yes, it happens but it’s hard to accept. He slept a lot. He lay on the window bench to continue his guard over our home. He began having seizures. I wondered how much of this we would have to endure. Sadly our daughter, Allison, and granddaughter, Haley, had experience in this and were helpful. He only had two seizures that we know of and after the last one, he wasn’t the same. It appeared to have caused a heart issue. His last night he showed signs of congestive heart failure with some problems breathing. He wasn’t in pain and appeared to desire to be alone. He went to a wooded area next door and lay in the leaves. We brought him inside to be close to us, having no idea he would not make it through the night.

It was late evening and I wanted to find an emergency vet to take him to. For some reason, my husband didn’t agree. He didn’t believe they could help. This had the potential of being a big issue between us. But thank God, He put that to rest also by giving me a dream. Dreams I will save for later.

After Howie passed quietly and peacefully, and David and I were drained of tears and sadness, we needed to rest. I was admittedly afraid to go to sleep. I was concerned that I would have fretful dreams about not finding emergency care for him. I did finally go back to sleep sometime after midnight only to have violent dreams! They had nothing to do with our horrible event. I do not remember anything specific other than they were bad enough that I woke up. I immediately asked Jesus to “please help me”. “I need sleep and Your comfort, Lord”. After a while, I dozed back to sleep to experience the most comforting dream I’ve ever had about a pet!

This may sound like a cliffhanger but I decided to post this dream and some bonuses in the next, along with a short ending. A much-needed break is in order again.

So please join me for more of this wonder-filled life story,

Reba

PS How could I forget to mention Howie’s smile?