Memorial Day

Last Memorial Day I talked about the dogs I had as a child.  This year I want to remember a current dog – Shadow.  Whenever you look at my blog, it opens with Shadow jumping.  It has been almost two years since Shadow has been totally blind.  I imagine by the end of her life, she will have lived as many years in darkness as she lived in light.  Having my puppy Magnum has helped me to remember so many sweet and cute things that Shadow did when she was younger.  Blindness has changed her life in so many ways.  I can’t say it has changed the quality, but it has limited what she can do.  The other day Alan and I were walking the dogs outside with Shadow in the shade and the way the light hit her eyes, I could see her brown colored eyes that are usually hidden by blue colored cataracts.  It was so wonderful to see her brown eyes.  She is most comfortable walking around the yard on a leash and is then confident walking because she knows we will keep her from running into things.  On her own, she walks carefully and uses bumping into things as a way to guide her. 

The three sister cats I have spend a lot of time laying next to Shadow licking her and being licked by Shadow.  Perhaps due to loss of sight, the tactile experiences seem more important than ever to her.  A few months ago when we had just started training Magnum on the electric fence, I left him in the very back of the yard on a retractable leash attached to a tree while I went outside the dog area to work in the garden.  Shadow was laying in the shade near the house.  After about 15 minutes, I checked on Magnum.  There lying next to him was Shadow.  She had found her way about 100 feet to be next to him.  

Shadow’s life has changed, but she is still healthy and seems happy.  I will continue to rejoice in the years I have ahead with her.