[Dailydrool] The death and passing of Flash Goodbuddy Park

[fatfencer]

My oldest of 16 years has finally passed. He was old that I think his
muscles surrounding his tummy got so weak that after eating a small meal he
got bloat and we had to take him in to be sent off to the Bridge.

When we first adopted him, he had been horribly beaten and abused. It took
years, years, for him to be close to me as his abuser was a male. We had him
for 13.

These last couple of years saw a new, healthy, happy Flash GoodBuddy Park
who was well fed and loved on much. He reminded us of a swarthy, swaggery
Sean Connery. A dignified ladies man not afraid to pounce on his mudder, aka
Ms. MoneyPenny and wearing his esmoquin. He even sounded Scottish when he
was grumbling. An individual, he's the only dog I know that loved seafood,
with just a tad of spicy Korean hotsauce. He went Crazy over Octopus and
King Crab and even loved Kimchi, the no onion kind. Part Scottish, part
Korean, like his dad. :-)

Still, although he was kinda timid of me at first he finally began to be a
loving son to me. He slept next to me and felt safe with me. I felt safe
with him guarding us while we slept.

He was a fierce protector of my wife and allowed no other men to get too
close to her at the dog park!

Tonight, as the vet brought my boy into the waiting room for the last time
he was totally, finally free from fear of men. He let me love on him
completely and without restraint. And boy did we. We kissed and hugged him
all over. My wife and I held him as his spirit left for the Bridge. He died
quietly, dignified in death as in life. I was, I am a blubbering mess.

This was just a few hours ago, and while I feel that his time had come at
16, I had hoped for another 5 years. I'm crazy that way.

I'm totally at a loss for words. We'd just lost Oliver, aka Bajaa the
berserker on Dec 23rd so this was horribly too soon.

Flash is survived by myself, Tony, his mother Toni, and his two brothers
Roscoe P. Coltrane Park and Tigger Park, aka Noogie.

Please sling some healing drool our way. We surely need it. We are at our
wits end.
Thanks for understanding.

Tony

PS: Here's a poem adapted from Kipling that I think describes Flash and how
we feel about him.

“Have you news of my boy Flash?”
*Not this tide.*
“When d’you think that he’ll come back?”
*Not with this wind blowing, and this tide.*

“Has any one else had word of him?”
*Not this tide.*
*For what is sunk will hardly swim,*
*Not with this wind blowing, and this tide.*

“Oh, dear, what comfort can I find?”
*None this tide,*
*Nor any tide,*
*Except he did not shame his kind —*
*Not even with that wind blowing, and that tide.*

*Then hold your head up all the more,*
*This tide,*
*And every tide;*
*Because he was the son you bore,*
*And gave to that wind blowing and that tide!*
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