Goodbye Sweet Guinnea Girl

Our sweet Guinnea Girl, who came into our lives and grew into our hearts when MGJ was just a toddler died last night. She was nearly 11. She was bumped by a car, and went immediately. She was in good health for an animal her age and breed, and amazingly more puppy like in the last weeks than in the last year.

There is a terrible sense of agony and loss ...

and there are reminders of her everywhere ...

The still full food dish, her leash on the back porch, her notable absence when I look out the kitchen window thinking I'll see her looking back at me ...

We got the call just after the girls had fallen asleep and we made the agonizing decision to get them up. To let them see and feel the fullness of death, up close and extremely personal, in the hopes that it would help them grieve more fully. And, so they could say good bye.

It was a harsh reality.

They cried, and then after waking fully and with more clear minds, sweetly prepared their good byes. We took off her collar and tags (one from the US and one from China). They crouched over her on her bed and wept, and petted her, their tears dripping on her still warm body. We clipped some locks of her hair. We thought of things that we wanted to bury with her.

Then Mr Johnson prepared her grave under the budding magnolia tree. And he placed her, paws crossed (the dainty way she often kept them), and buried her.

We are so sad.

We loved you

Miss Guiness, Guinnea Pal, Good Old Wet Nose, Puppins, Guinnea Girl.

We loved you all the way to China and back.