Ten years ago a little black fur ball graced our lives.
Little did we know at that time the impact she would make.
At the time I knew she was going to be special and she needed a special name.
Tommy was the name but it could not be spelled any ole way.
I don't know how all the letters came to fit, but once they fit I knew it was 'her' name.
T A U M E E M A H R H E E
Taumee went every where with us. And every where she went she brought cuteness with her.
As she grew she changed in appearance so much.
When she was four years old her coat grew in so thick it was very hard to give her a bath, it was so thick.
Taumee loved to pack things around and we used this favorite skill of hers to our advantage.
The first time was when Rick came home from a camping trip. She helped to carry small bags of his stuff into the house.
Next after a trip to the grocery store she would help to carry in the groceries.
Then when I had my motorcycle accident she was there to get things for me, and to steady myself in doing the every day things while I healed, and she never left my side.
She became my shadow the rest of her life.
When Taumee was about 4 years old, she tore her ACL. It was not a tough decision. The only thing tough was coming up with the $2,500.00 to give her the surgery that she needed. I ebayed my whole Princess Diana doll and plate collections. Lost big money on it but did make enough to pay for 3/4 of her surgery. Not one regret on that.
After we moved to the farm Taumee was lonely, and then Sydney came into our lives. We took Taumee with us and she picked Sydney out to come home with us. When Sydney had her puppies, Taumee was the aunt that showed them how to play. How to play her favorite game of tug if was. Babysat with the delight of having all these little ones around her. Sydney was their mom and she was good about feeding them, but that was where the love stopped with her. In thought maybe it was because all the puppies were black and Sydney was a blonde.
We kept one of the puppies, hence Sassy's membership to the family.
Sassy and Sydney play all the time, and Taumee would sit and watch them. She would let it go until the play got to rough and the tone of their growls would change. Then she would get up and run right between them to break up any type of disagreement that seemed to be getting out of hand.
Taumee loved all the grand kids. She would let them crawl all over her. Her favorite thing to do was to tease them with the ball. Upon her return with it, she would walk just out of reach of them, and circle around. Many times they would come crying: "Nana! Taumee won't give me the ball!"
She taught them patience.
Her favorite game was tug of war, and she always won. She would pull a grown man off his feet! She was never mean about it, she was just strong. If you gave her the slightest slack in the rope she would shake your shoulder out of it's socket.
Birthday parties were her favorite. Her treat was to lick the plate clean and then go put it in the sink when she was done. In her later years, when arthritis set in to her leg she did not have the surgery on, we did not make her stand up to the counter anymore to drop the dishes into the sink. Never once did she break a Corel dish. She thanked us for getting a dish washer. She then would put the dishes in there.
Taumee was not a cuddlier. She relished attention so much she would never sit still long enough for cuddles. She did love to be petted and hugged though. This she got lots of. She always had to walk in between your legs for her butt scratches. She earned the name of "wiggle butt".
Last night around 8pm I noticed that something was wrong with Taumee and the major clue was she turned down her cookies. She was never one to turn down a cookie! I called the vet when she went to lay down and just fell. This was a matter of about ten minutes. Another ten minutes and we were at the vets. He took one look at her gums, which were very white, and said she was bleeding internally. While we were discussing options Taumee was fading right before our eyes. The answer was clear. She was hurting. We were loosing her! As i held her, the doctor helped her to run thru green pastures with no more pain, to the rainbow bridge, and some day we will meet again!
Parker, our four year old grandson said, "Taumee is going to go see Poncho."
There will never be another one like Taumee. Her kind comes along only once in a lifetime, and we were blessed to be her family.
Taumee, you will be missed so very much! There isn't any words that can describe the heart ache of your loss!
