This red sky in the morning actually greeted me yesterday, a clear indicator of the stormy weather predicted to arrive last night.
Living in the mountains of Western North Carolina is an odd experience where weather is concerned. When we first moved here there was no Local Yokel weather service, we relied on television and radio stations in Asheville - 45 minutes away, Greenville, SC or Knoxville, TN both 1 ½ hours away. There is often a world of difference between the weather forecast and what actually appears on the doorstep. Maybe it’s the uniqueness of the geography with mountain ranges lying between us and the forecaster, but sometimes we never see the rain or snow that our close neighbors experience.
Since these most ancient of mountains seem like ancient gods of mythology, it is easy to imagine them reaching into the sky and grabbing the clouds or thunderbolts and tossing them to the next range…completely bypassing the little towns and cities in between. At least, that’s the explanation I like the best.
I fell asleep thinking about Lazer and midway through last night this particular storm blew in. The Music of the Spheres chimes hanging in the apple tree outside my room began playing its sound at crescendo volume making it difficult to tell if the sounds outside were wind or rain…or both. Turns out those ancient gods took pity long enough to get the dogs walked without a good soaking. I’m grateful for that twenty minute respite for as soon as the dogs were back in the skies opened up.
Our Lazer made it through the night but she needs our help to move on soon. We believe in our hearts that even though all of a sudden, she’s been very sick, she was peaceful and not suffering. She welcomes our company and graces us with her goddess like looks and behavior. When our friends get sick like this we all have a fantasy of wishing they exit from this life easily during their sleep…and blessedly, sometimes they do. Most times though, they reach a point where their brain, lungs and brave hearts keep going while all else fails and everything else they’ve lived for is denied them. She is the “kit-tay”, the supreme ruler of the house and dogs and deserves to be released from this sickly half life she is now being held prisoner by.
The decision of euthanasia never gets easier, it is a complex morass of warring emotions coupled with a paralyzing fear of making the right decision at the wrong time. We know we’ll outlive the furry members of our family, what a flawed system that is.
As I sit here at the computer with the view of the mountains to my left and our beautiful Lazer lying in front of the heater to my right, I think the current hazy grey of the scenery reflects my emotions much more so than the red sky of yesterday morning.
Please send Lazer white light.
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