Here's a photograph I took of my dog, ZARA, in the late '80s or early '90s, and which I'm quite proud of. I got it enlarged, mounted and framed, and it's hung in my living room for many a year, but the above scan comes from the original photo, dug out of an old shoe box a half-hour or so ago. Zara went to the great Kennel Club in the sky just over 21 years ago, but I still regularly have dreams in which she's still alive, and when I awaken, I look around for her before remembering that she's no longer here.
Has anyone else had a beloved pet, now gone, which they sometimes forget isn't part of their everyday life anymore, apart from in dreams, memories and photographs? Take a moment to remember your pet-friend in the comments section if you'd like to. It's good to share.
(Below is maybe how I'd frame the picture now - which version do you prefer?)
Or, given reader CJ's observation (see comments section), how about this one...?
The top picture is the better one because the subject is dead-centre and there's more scenery in the background.
ReplyDeleteThere's a school of thought that a picture is more interesting if the subject isn't dead-centre, CJ, and slightly off to the side. (So I've read anyway.) I like the top one, but I sometimes wonder if Zara is dwarfed by the scenery, so the second one appeals to me because it's slightly more interesting.
ReplyDeleteWe Lost Our Little Zoe Last Year, Was Heartbreaking, she was the most loveliest gentle cat we ever had,and very very Smart, she never scratched or bit you, unlike her Brother 'Marty' who's all teeth and claws! hes calmed down a lot since she went, and he's now a big softie, always looking for love & cuddles,Zoe had cancer, we gave her an extra 6 months through vets treatment & tablets Ect..but towards the end her quality of life was not good, we were really only keeping her alive for us, which is never a good idea.
ReplyDeleteThey really do leave Paw prints on your heart..if that's not too Mawkish!..and when they go, its awful, you cant believe the hole they leave in your life.
Yeah, it's a shame. They're members of the family, and I seethe when I hear people say "It's only an animal!" as if they don't count. I showed a video of Zara running about to someone who I thought was a pal (this was a year or two after Zara had died) and he said "Never mind that, let's see the video of the cremation!" (I'd had her privately cremated, but it wasn't videoed.) Needless to say he's not a pal any more, and his attitude later got him a sore face from me. I wish I'd given him it sooner.
ReplyDeleteIf you type 'One Last Walk' into the blog's search box, you can read about what happened to Zara, should you be interested. Zoe sounds like a great cat. A neighbour's cat (called Lucky) used to come in and live with me for days on end, and follow me round the neighbourhood when I took Zara for walks. Lucky's gone now too, but her and Zara were the best of pals.
Yes i read That..Very Sad, But Lovely Too, Zara sounds Brilliant, and they are part of the family, they are there for love & respect, we would never move any of our cats off the Setee if they were sleeping or Comfy, we just sit somewhere else! and yes anyone who didn't feel like that about our cats were not friends for long..a bit like your pal!. I feel lucky we still have Marty, he's 15, and hes doing OK..he follows me everywhere, sleeps with us every night on the bed, and snuggles up on the setee with us too, I guess you never got another dog after Zara?
ReplyDeleteNo, never got another dog, mainly because that although Zara lived a year longer than her predecessor, Tara, it only seemed like half the time. Therefore, based on the fact that time seems to pass faster the older we get, another dog's lifespan would've been over before I knew it. Had three dogs at separate intervals since 1973 to '98, so probably best to stop at a trio. Give Marty a tickle behind the ear from me.
ReplyDeleteI certainly Will!..Cheers Kid.
ReplyDeleteCheers.
ReplyDeleteCan't believe someone asked that vile a question. I remember well that day and our trip to Irvine for the cremation. Zara was a fine dog, and you gave her a grand send off.
ReplyDeleteT-G
Well, T-G, only an @rsehole would've said what he said, so I guess that's what he was. An @rsehole with a sore face.
ReplyDeleteI lost my wee dog Julie (I liked a aing with that name)in 1983 and still remember that final trip to the vet where we had to put her to sleep , still recall her big eyes looking up at me as the vet did the deed Gut wrenching. The house felt so quiet for months without her and I still stepped over where she used to lie at the kitchen heater for ages after she had gone I remember my mum being asked by an old friend she hadn't seen in years saying she had 3 children without thinking adding the wee dog .
ReplyDeleteYeah, they're family, aren't they, McS? Like wee brothers and sisters if you're older than them, and big brothers and sisters if you're younger. And you never forget them, even when/if you get another dog (or cat), because just like people, they're individuals.
ReplyDeleteYou won’t believe it but my best friend in the U.K. had a dog like that in the 70s. Named-Zara.
ReplyDeleteAnyway we had a chinchilla died a few years ago. I think she was 14. The other chin is still alive ! I think she’s 18! She’s not doing too well though overgrown molars. The vet doesn’t want to grind them cos the anesthesia might be fatal she’s so old.
I remember you mentioning your Chinchillas before, PS. Nice to know that one still survives, though it's a shame about the other. Hope she's not in too much pain and has a happy life. Is there nothing you can give her to gnaw on that will wear down her teeth a bit?
ReplyDeleteShe’s got wood chew toys but it’s the rear molars . Anyway I can’t complain since they live ten years in the wild.
DeleteWell, I'm sure she's had a happy life with you as well as a long one, PS, so here's hoping she's got a good while ahead of her yet.
ReplyDelete