Post Script

 We are heartbroken.

We buried Meeko this morning.

 He turned thirteen last May, and other than some arthritis and hearing loss, he seemed to be doing pretty well. 

 Until he wasn't.

 He went downhill so quickly that we wondered if he might have had a stroke.  Within a few weeks, he went from being stiff and slow-moving first thing in the morning (not unlike Ed and I), to barely able to get up at all, and then staggering around when he did get up.   

Our last picture of Meeko

Last week, we knew it was time, but it took Ed four days to dig the grave (that rock-hard clay soil). 

We also buried Bookworm this morning.  She died a few months ago, but at the time, we weren't able to dig the grave, so we had her in the basement freezer.   She had some serious thyroid issues and was quite literally starving, so we put her down rather than let her suffer. 

Our last picture of Bookworm.  She how thin she was?

We buried them together, all of us remembering that she was the reason he was terrified of cats. 

While Captain and Adora are still with us, it feels like the end of one era, and the start of another.

We have two younger cats (both strays) named Kaku and Little Bit. Kyle's dogs, Rex and Gracie are with us too, and about ten days ago, two hound dog pups showed up in our garage.  One male, and one female, both about three months old.  We've tried to find owners, but we're pretty sure they were dumped.  We call them Buck and Bossie (bossy).  

Buck and Bossie

Rex and Gracie (and Ed)

Little Bit

Kaku

We kind of feel like the Lord knew Meeko was about ready to leave us. so he sent those pups.  Buck has already crashed head-first into Ed's knee and Bossie likes to play "catch me if you can". 

Here we go again. 

As much as our hearts have been broken, we wouldn't trade the time we've had with the four-legged members of our family.  Our lives are so much richer for having known them.