For all my "Special Friends" who have made that final journey over the "Rainbow Bridge If it should be that I grow frail and weak, and pain should keep me from my sleep, Then you must do what must be done, For this, the last battle, can't be won. You will be sad - I understand, Don't let your grief then stay your hand, For this day, more than all the rest, Your love and friendship stand the test. We've had so many happy years, What is to come can hold no fears, You'd not want me to suffer, so when the time comes, please let me go. Know in time you too will see, It is a kindness you do to me, Although my tail it's last has waved, From pain and suffering I've been saved. Don't grieve that it should be you, Who has to decide this thing to do, We've been so close, we two these years, Don't let your heart hold any tears. -Anonymous Simon the Siamese, was the first cat that "owned me" as a grownup. I got her from my boss. He and his family were looking for a good home for her and her sister and asked if I would take them. I had not had a cat since I was a kid on the farm, but had always admired their independence, and so I agreed. Thus begun the saga of me and my cats! I did not have Simon long, but the time I had her was a real joy! As you can see from her picture, she definitely had a personality! She loved cardboard boxes and was very opinionated! Simon took sick one day. The Vet said it was an upper respiratory condition. In spite of attempts at treatment, I lost her. That was back in about 1973. Simon left behind her sister "Hooter" and one very sad human. Thank you Simon, for the good times! Hooter was Simon's "sister". Not her real sister mind you. Hooter was my first Persian. She was a beautiful black Persian, with the biggest, roundest and orangest eyes I've ever seen! In fact that's how she got the name "Hooter" She sort of reminded me of a "Hoot Owl" at times! Hooter was younger than Simon when I got her -- probably about 4 or 5 years old. She had a very sweet personality and for quite some time after Simon died, Hooter was my only cat. I always felt some guilt at bringing other cats into the home, because Hooter's personality seemed to change after that. She became more withdrawn. Although in time, she seemed to accept it. Hooter lived to a ripe old age of about 22. She just passed away one day in the November of 1990. As you will see, 1990 was not a very good year. I lost so many "special friends" that year! You are still missed Hooter, my friend, for the softness of your way and the love you gave so unconditionally! Duck or "Ducky" as I called her, was one of three Persians I adopted in about 1977. I found them at a cattery which was going out of business. It was in pretty bad shape and the kitties there were not in the best of health. Duck was a little Tortoise Shell Persian. She had a cleft pallet and lots of health problems. I would guess she was probably about 3 years old at the time I got her. She was very scared then and very sick. I treated her at a cat clinic in Minneapolis where I was living at the time. She had a viral infection, ear mites, and a bad skin condition called Kaitiela (I know that's not the correct spelling). It's a mite that burrows under the skin and causes lesions, and eventually open sores and hair loss. She and all of her sisters had to be treated by a skin specialist for this one and I had to bath them all weekly for 3 months with a special shampoo, rinse and then pour a solution of Malthion over them, which could not be toweled off. Duck also had an upper respiratory problem and was very susceptible to infection. She also lacked normal tear ducts, consequently she always looked like she was crying. Eventually we managed to bring most of her conditions under control --- or at least learned how to deal with them! Duck was a sweet little cat and extremely active when she was well. She liked to run from the basement, into the kitchen, into the living room, land on the scatter rug in front of the living room door and slide across the room on the wood floors. She would do this every day. One day I decided to carpet the living room. After I was finished, I heard Ducky coming up the stairs. When she hit the carpet instead of the scatter rug, she literally skipped across the living room and then tumbled head over heals. Her big eyes looked at me and she let out her high pitched little "Meeeu!!" , as if to say "What did you do that for?!" When I moved to Vernon Center, Ducky and her sisters (all four of them --- Hooter was with us then too) went with me. One day I saw Duck sitting on a roll of carpet I was getting ready to put down in one of the rooms down stairs. I saw her staring into the corner and peeked around the door to see what she was looking at. There on the floor no more than 5 feet away, sat a little gray mouse, staring back at Duck! I don't think Duck had ever seen a mouse before and I am certain that mouse had never seen a cat like Duck before! When the mouse spotted me, it ran for the little hole it had come in through. Duck, once again gave me her little "Meeeuu", no doubt chastising me for chasing away her new friend! I had to let Duck go over the Rainbow Bridge in 1988. She would have been about 14. She could barely walk anymore and was losing lots of weight. I still think about her. Gizzmo is a lot like Duck --- sweet personality and a loveable nature. Loves to smooch"! So did Ducky. Thank you Ducky for being my "funny little cat"! You will always hold a special place in my heart. I wish I had a better picture of Duck, but I could never get her to sit still long enough to take one, so this one will have to do. Dinky wasn't always called Dinky. When I first got her, I called her "Snowball", because she was snow white. She came from the same cattery as Duck, but was just a kitten at the time. I would guess she was about 6-9 months. Dinky was the reason I went to this cattery in the first place. I was looking for a pure white cat friend for Hooter, who was almost pure black! Little did I know that my household on that day would increase from one to four! Dinky was always very prim and proper --- always a little lady! Like the others she was affectionate but a bit more aloof. She and Hooter did become friends. In fact I think she was closer to Hooter than she was to any of the rest. She was always the "baby" of the bunch and a little bit spoiled as a result. Dinky went through some of the same medical problems as the rest, especially as she got older, but for the most part was pretty healthy until the very end. Very suddenly she developed tumors in her ears, mouth and throat. She was unable to eat. Her skin was so tender to the touch that you could not brush her because it caused her pain. Dinky joined the others and crossed the Rainbow Bridge in late November of 1990 --- about two weeks after Hooter passed away. She would have been about 13 when I took her in. I stayed with her until it was over, then brought her home to the "tree garden" where she joined her sisters. Every kitty is special. Dinky was special to me. Her memory will live on in me forever! Thank you Dinky for being my special kitty! There is always one that stands out above the rest! I saved her for last, because she was indeed a standout! Like the rest, Muffy also came from the cattery. But she had belonged to the woman who owned the cattery, so she was sort of the "cat of the house"l. I didn't pick Muffy. Muffy picked me! I was sitting on the floor petting Dinky, when I felt something touch my arm and heard this funny, raspy "Maaah!". I looked down and there stood this funny little gray Persian, with the saddest eyes I had ever seen staring back at me! I said hello and then went back to petting Dinky. A few moments later, two taps on my arm and a louder, more insistent "Maaaahh!". When I looked this time I was hooked! I said: "Do you want to go home with me?" She reached out her little paw and said "Maaaahh!" Since the woman who owned the cattery was getting rid of everything, she was also wanting to find a home for Muffy. Well of course, she went home with me! She immediately became the "Grand Dame" of the house. She loved people and was especially fond of me! She bossed everyone and everything that came into the house and ruled with an iron paw! Were she here today, there is no doubt she would have been a CLAW member and poor Leo would not be the King of the Hill he is! But I think he would have loved her. In many ways he's a lot like her! Muffy was a natural mother. One of my roommates got a kitten before moving to her own place. Muffy took to that kitten like you wouldn't believe. She had borne lots of kittens in her seven years before coming to live with me, and seemed to recognize that this little guy still needed a "mother cat's" love and affection. The kitten (we called him "Wiener") took to her too. He would crawl all over her, chewing on her, pestering her and she let him do whatever he wanted. She would get hold of the nape of his neck and haul him around (that was pretty funny, because she was a cobby build and had really short little legs. As a result she usually ended up dragging him along the floor!). She became his protector too. If any of the other cats went near him, she pounced on them! When the roommate moved and took the kitten, Muffy searched for him for nearly a week. I think she was convinced one of the other cats had done him in and would have nothing to do with them for a long time! Muffy was the first cat I ever had that drank from the faucet! Every night when I came home from work, she would jump from the table onto the kitchen cupboard and into the sink where she would sit patiently waiting for me to turn on the water. Muffy talked incessantly. She always had something to say and she occasionally enjoyed sitting on my lap! She loved to sleep next to me on the pillow and in the morning would wake me up with a "Maaahhhh!" and a little paw in my face. Sometimes she would bite me on the nose if I didn't move fast enough to suit her. She was the only one of my cats who liked to go outside once in awhile. The woman who had owned her, had let her out from time to time. So we compromised and I took her for walks on a little yellow harness I bought for her. She loved to lie in the grass and wait for a butterfly to fly by. She would jump up and try to catch it! Sometimes when the grass got a little too tall, all you could see was her gray fluffy tail sticking up over the top of the grass! Muffy would have been about 20 when I lost her. It was October 1990 . We had battled many illnesses in her later years from the skin conditions I mentioned earlier to countless ear infections and upper respiratory conditions. I think it was a combination of too many illnesses coupled with just plain old age that finally ended it. She was at a point where she could hardly walk, could not get into her litter box (she hated being dirty), and could no longer eat or take water. As we drove in that evening, she struggled to sit up in the little box I had placed her in. She gazed about looking at the Country side and the setting sun, knowing, I believe, that she would not be seeing it again. When we got to the Vet's I sat for a moment, reached in and petted her and told her I loved her. She was very weak, but she nuzzled my hand with her nose and gave me one of her little "Maaah's",as if to say: "It's ok, it must be done". I stayed with her while the vet gave her the injection. It broke my heart, but I had to. She snuggled into my arms --- and was gone. I took her home in a little gray "kitty coffin" the Vet gave me, and buried her in the tree garden behind my house. She was the first to be buried there. But the story doesn't end there. A day or two later, I stopped by the Vet's to thank him and his wife for their kindness. As I left, I heard a raspy "Maaahhh" as clearly as if it were coming from right beside me! There were no other cats anywhere around, but I knew who it was! Now I've got to tell you folks, I am not given to flights of fancy. I'm a pretty logical person who finds it difficult to simply accept things on faith. But I would know that voice anywhere! I had heard it everyday for over 13 years. I called out (sort of quietly, just in case someone was listening or watching!), "Muffy, is that you?" . The response came back! This time it seemed to be in the air, but not quite as close. I just stood there next to the truck and then said: "Thank you Muffy, please wait for me". I heard her once more, this time even more distant---like she was in a tunnel and getting further and further away! I can't explain it, but I know it happened.! I figure she waited there, the place where her spirit had left her body, to say goodbye, before "crossing over". Muffy was "special" in her life and in her death. I think of her often, but I am comforted by the knowledge that she lives on somewhere ---- just the other side of the Rainbow Bridge! Thank you my little Muffy for choosing me and giving me the opportunity and the privilege to share your life. Muffy's death was followed very closely by the death of her sisters Dinky and Hooter. But in December my Vet introduced to me a young woman who raised Persian's in her home. She had two little kittens left who she had not placed in homes. Leo and Gizzmo cannot replace the others, but have developed their own personalities and sets of "memories" that make them unique and special in their own right. I lost another "special friend" in 1990. I think it only appropriate to add a tribute to him here as well. You see he was a farmer by trade and he loved animals. Of all my cats, he especially liked Muffy. I remember once when he visited me at my home and Muffy came out to greet him. He looked at her and laughed and later said: "You know I like that little gray cat. She's a nice little fella!" Of course I'm talking about my Dad. He was a gentle man or "genteel" as my sister would say. He was soft-spoken and not much for rambling discourse. But he was a great listener and a great teacher. He always told me that a person could do anything if they put their mind to it. I had no brothers, so Dad taught me how to cultivate, plow, drive and fix tractors, bail hay and fix fences. We had a small farm so Dad worked a full time job as a field foreman at a local canning factory. This kept him away a good share of the summer, so my job was to keep the fields clear of weeds. My Dad loved the land and could spot a good field of soybeans a mile away! He was an avid horseman and passed on his love of horse back riding to both me and my sister. His favorite attire was a pair of overalls and a cap, set to one side. He knew everyone, or I should say, everyone seemed to know him, but he was terrible with names. Someone would come up to him on the street, carry on a 15 minute conversation and then leave. After saying goodbye, he would look at me and say, " I know I should know that guy, but do you suppose I can remember his name! " If there was ever a human who deserved a place on a tributes page such as this it is my Dad. And so I add him here because a gentle man of the land belongs with the gentlest of earth's creatures. Dad was 80 when he passed away. He had the first stroke in July of 1990. It was followed by a second in October, from which he did not recover. The picture is one of my favorites of Dad holding my Nephew Nick when he was a baby and wearing his favorite "suit"! We still miss you Dad and think about you every day. I suspect by now you have found Muffy (or she has found you!) and the rest of the kids! Please care for them until I get there! The best we can do with anyone we are close to, pet or human alike, is to enjoy them everyday they are here. Make time for them, appreciate them and always tell them you love them. It makes the inevitable and difficult time when they leave a bit easier to bear, because you won't have to deal with the "regrets". To all of my "special friends" who have gone ahead of me I say thank you for sharing your lives with me. I will see you again one day ---- at the Rainbow Bridge. "And the Lord asked, "Are you ready" And we said "No" And then the Lord reached down and gently wiped our tears And softly said, "But she is" And as the sun peeked through the clouds He took her" Web Rings Sadly I have discontinued all Web Rings and most of my awards. It is just too difficult to constantly update them and their links when making changes to a site. A lot of times a ring will just disappear. Sometimes members don't update their links causing problems for the rest of the ring. Sometimes the Ring host makes silly changes (i.e., Yahoo) and forces you to obtain a password in addition to the one your ring master assigned and then places a banner on your ring page (even though your site may be banner free) So............until the web matures and some of this gets "sorted out", I will not be subscribing to any web rings. Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause. I have retained two award I received when I created my very first web site: Rural Ramblin' at Geocities. One is from Theresa Casella and it is in memory of her wonderful cat, Higgins. The other is from Carla Hunt and her wonderful cat and Leo's good buddy, Boomer. Boomer has since joined Higgins at the Rainbow Bridge. Leo still misses him a lot. Boomer's mom Carla has some new "fluffy tailed" kitties, so be sure and visit her site. They are really beautiful :) Credits "The Rainbow" copyright 1999 by Bruce DeBoer Graphics by Leo Images on this page may not be copied without permission [ Home ] [ Up ] [ Lorraine ] [ Tributes Page ] [ B.S. Sundae ]
If it should be that I grow frail and weak, and pain should keep me from my sleep, Then you must do what must be done, For this, the last battle, can't be won.
You will be sad - I understand, Don't let your grief then stay your hand, For this day, more than all the rest, Your love and friendship stand the test. We've had so many happy years, What is to come can hold no fears, You'd not want me to suffer, so when the time comes, please let me go.
Know in time you too will see, It is a kindness you do to me, Although my tail it's last has waved, From pain and suffering I've been saved. Don't grieve that it should be you, Who has to decide this thing to do, We've been so close, we two these years, Don't let your heart hold any tears.
Simon the Siamese, was the first cat that "owned me" as a grownup. I got her from my boss. He and his family were looking for a good home for her and her sister and asked if I would take them. I had not had a cat since I was a kid on the farm, but had always admired their independence, and so I agreed. Thus begun the saga of me and my cats! I did not have Simon long, but the time I had her was a real joy! As you can see from her picture, she definitely had a personality! She loved cardboard boxes and was very opinionated! Simon took sick one day. The Vet said it was an upper respiratory condition. In spite of attempts at treatment, I lost her. That was back in about 1973. Simon left behind her sister "Hooter" and one very sad human. Thank you Simon, for the good times!
Hooter was Simon's "sister". Not her real sister mind you. Hooter was my first Persian. She was a beautiful black Persian, with the biggest, roundest and orangest eyes I've ever seen! In fact that's how she got the name "Hooter" She sort of reminded me of a "Hoot Owl" at times! Hooter was younger than Simon when I got her -- probably about 4 or 5 years old. She had a very sweet personality and for quite some time after Simon died, Hooter was my only cat. I always felt some guilt at bringing other cats into the home, because Hooter's personality seemed to change after that. She became more withdrawn. Although in time, she seemed to accept it. Hooter lived to a ripe old age of about 22. She just passed away one day in the November of 1990. As you will see, 1990 was not a very good year. I lost so many "special friends" that year! You are still missed Hooter, my friend, for the softness of your way and the love you gave so unconditionally!
Duck or "Ducky" as I called her, was one of three Persians I adopted in about 1977. I found them at a cattery which was going out of business. It was in pretty bad shape and the kitties there were not in the best of health. Duck was a little Tortoise Shell Persian. She had a cleft pallet and lots of health problems. I would guess she was probably about 3 years old at the time I got her. She was very scared then and very sick. I treated her at a cat clinic in Minneapolis where I was living at the time. She had a viral infection, ear mites, and a bad skin condition called Kaitiela (I know that's not the correct spelling). It's a mite that burrows under the skin and causes lesions, and eventually open sores and hair loss. She and all of her sisters had to be treated by a skin specialist for this one and I had to bath them all weekly for 3 months with a special shampoo, rinse and then pour a solution of Malthion over them, which could not be toweled off. Duck also had an upper respiratory problem and was very susceptible to infection. She also lacked normal tear ducts, consequently she always looked like she was crying.
Eventually we managed to bring most of her conditions under control --- or at least learned how to deal with them! Duck was a sweet little cat and extremely active when she was well. She liked to run from the basement, into the kitchen, into the living room, land on the scatter rug in front of the living room door and slide across the room on the wood floors. She would do this every day. One day I decided to carpet the living room. After I was finished, I heard Ducky coming up the stairs. When she hit the carpet instead of the scatter rug, she literally skipped across the living room and then tumbled head over heals. Her big eyes looked at me and she let out her high pitched little "Meeeu!!" , as if to say "What did you do that for?!"
When I moved to Vernon Center, Ducky and her sisters (all four of them --- Hooter was with us then too) went with me. One day I saw Duck sitting on a roll of carpet I was getting ready to put down in one of the rooms down stairs. I saw her staring into the corner and peeked around the door to see what she was looking at. There on the floor no more than 5 feet away, sat a little gray mouse, staring back at Duck! I don't think Duck had ever seen a mouse before and I am certain that mouse had never seen a cat like Duck before! When the mouse spotted me, it ran for the little hole it had come in through. Duck, once again gave me her little "Meeeuu", no doubt chastising me for chasing away her new friend!
I had to let Duck go over the Rainbow Bridge in 1988. She would have been about 14. She could barely walk anymore and was losing lots of weight. I still think about her. Gizzmo is a lot like Duck --- sweet personality and a loveable nature. Loves to smooch"! So did Ducky. Thank you Ducky for being my "funny little cat"! You will always hold a special place in my heart. I wish I had a better picture of Duck, but I could never get her to sit still long enough to take one, so this one will have to do.
Dinky wasn't always called Dinky. When I first got her, I called her "Snowball", because she was snow white. She came from the same cattery as Duck, but was just a kitten at the time. I would guess she was about 6-9 months. Dinky was the reason I went to this cattery in the first place. I was looking for a pure white cat friend for Hooter, who was almost pure black! Little did I know that my household on that day would increase from one to four! Dinky was always very prim and proper --- always a little lady! Like the others she was affectionate but a bit more aloof.
She and Hooter did become friends. In fact I think she was closer to Hooter than she was to any of the rest. She was always the "baby" of the bunch and a little bit spoiled as a result. Dinky went through some of the same medical problems as the rest, especially as she got older, but for the most part was pretty healthy until the very end.
Very suddenly she developed tumors in her ears, mouth and throat. She was unable to eat. Her skin was so tender to the touch that you could not brush her because it caused her pain.
Dinky joined the others and crossed the Rainbow Bridge in late November of 1990 --- about two weeks after Hooter passed away. She would have been about 13 when I took her in. I stayed with her until it was over, then brought her home to the "tree garden" where she joined her sisters. Every kitty is special. Dinky was special to me. Her memory will live on in me forever! Thank you Dinky for being my special kitty!
There is always one that stands out above the rest! I saved her for last, because she was indeed a standout! Like the rest, Muffy also came from the cattery. But she had belonged to the woman who owned the cattery, so she was sort of the "cat of the house"l.
I didn't pick Muffy. Muffy picked me! I was sitting on the floor petting Dinky, when I felt something touch my arm and heard this funny, raspy "Maaah!". I looked down and there stood this funny little gray Persian, with the saddest eyes I had ever seen staring back at me! I said hello and then went back to petting Dinky. A few moments later, two taps on my arm and a louder, more insistent "Maaaahh!". When I looked this time I was hooked! I said: "Do you want to go home with me?" She reached out her little paw and said "Maaaahh!" Since the woman who owned the cattery was getting rid of everything, she was also wanting to find a home for Muffy. Well of course, she went home with me!
She immediately became the "Grand Dame" of the house. She loved people and was especially fond of me! She bossed everyone and everything that came into the house and ruled with an iron paw! Were she here today, there is no doubt she would have been a CLAW member and poor Leo would not be the King of the Hill he is! But I think he would have loved her. In many ways he's a lot like her!
Muffy was a natural mother. One of my roommates got a kitten before moving to her own place. Muffy took to that kitten like you wouldn't believe. She had borne lots of kittens in her seven years before coming to live with me, and seemed to recognize that this little guy still needed a "mother cat's" love and affection. The kitten (we called him "Wiener") took to her too. He would crawl all over her, chewing on her, pestering her and she let him do whatever he wanted. She would get hold of the nape of his neck and haul him around (that was pretty funny, because she was a cobby build and had really short little legs. As a result she usually ended up dragging him along the floor!). She became his protector too. If any of the other cats went near him, she pounced on them! When the roommate moved and took the kitten, Muffy searched for him for nearly a week. I think she was convinced one of the other cats had done him in and would have nothing to do with them for a long time!
Muffy was the first cat I ever had that drank from the faucet! Every night when I came home from work, she would jump from the table onto the kitchen cupboard and into the sink where she would sit patiently waiting for me to turn on the water. Muffy talked incessantly. She always had something to say and she occasionally enjoyed sitting on my lap! She loved to sleep next to me on the pillow and in the morning would wake me up with a "Maaahhhh!" and a little paw in my face. Sometimes she would bite me on the nose if I didn't move fast enough to suit her.
She was the only one of my cats who liked to go outside once in awhile. The woman who had owned her, had let her out from time to time. So we compromised and I took her for walks on a little yellow harness I bought for her. She loved to lie in the grass and wait for a butterfly to fly by. She would jump up and try to catch it! Sometimes when the grass got a little too tall, all you could see was her gray fluffy tail sticking up over the top of the grass!
Muffy would have been about 20 when I lost her. It was October 1990 . We had battled many illnesses in her later years from the skin conditions I mentioned earlier to countless ear infections and upper respiratory conditions. I think it was a combination of too many illnesses coupled with just plain old age that finally ended it.
She was at a point where she could hardly walk, could not get into her litter box (she hated being dirty), and could no longer eat or take water. As we drove in that evening, she struggled to sit up in the little box I had placed her in. She gazed about looking at the Country side and the setting sun, knowing, I believe, that she would not be seeing it again. When we got to the Vet's I sat for a moment, reached in and petted her and told her I loved her. She was very weak, but she nuzzled my hand with her nose and gave me one of her little "Maaah's",as if to say: "It's ok, it must be done". I stayed with her while the vet gave her the injection. It broke my heart, but I had to. She snuggled into my arms --- and was gone.
I took her home in a little gray "kitty coffin" the Vet gave me, and buried her in the tree garden behind my house. She was the first to be buried there. But the story doesn't end there. A day or two later, I stopped by the Vet's to thank him and his wife for their kindness. As I left, I heard a raspy "Maaahhh" as clearly as if it were coming from right beside me! There were no other cats anywhere around, but I knew who it was! Now I've got to tell you folks, I am not given to flights of fancy. I'm a pretty logical person who finds it difficult to simply accept things on faith. But I would know that voice anywhere! I had heard it everyday for over 13 years. I called out (sort of quietly, just in case someone was listening or watching!), "Muffy, is that you?" . The response came back! This time it seemed to be in the air, but not quite as close. I just stood there next to the truck and then said: "Thank you Muffy, please wait for me". I heard her once more, this time even more distant---like she was in a tunnel and getting further and further away! I can't explain it, but I know it happened.! I figure she waited there, the place where her spirit had left her body, to say goodbye, before "crossing over".
Muffy was "special" in her life and in her death. I think of her often, but I am comforted by the knowledge that she lives on somewhere ---- just the other side of the Rainbow Bridge! Thank you my little Muffy for choosing me and giving me the opportunity and the privilege to share your life.
Muffy's death was followed very closely by the death of her sisters Dinky and Hooter. But in December my Vet introduced to me a young woman who raised Persian's in her home. She had two little kittens left who she had not placed in homes. Leo and Gizzmo cannot replace the others, but have developed their own personalities and sets of "memories" that make them unique and special in their own right.
I lost another "special friend" in 1990. I think it only appropriate to add a tribute to him here as well. You see he was a farmer by trade and he loved animals. Of all my cats, he especially liked Muffy. I remember once when he visited me at my home and Muffy came out to greet him. He looked at her and laughed and later said: "You know I like that little gray cat. She's a nice little fella!"
Of course I'm talking about my Dad. He was a gentle man or "genteel" as my sister would say. He was soft-spoken and not much for rambling discourse. But he was a great listener and a great teacher. He always told me that a person could do anything if they put their mind to it. I had no brothers, so Dad taught me how to cultivate, plow, drive and fix tractors, bail hay and fix fences. We had a small farm so Dad worked a full time job as a field foreman at a local canning factory. This kept him away a good share of the summer, so my job was to keep the fields clear of weeds. My Dad loved the land and could spot a good field of soybeans a mile away! He was an avid horseman and passed on his love of horse back riding to both me and my sister. His favorite attire was a pair of overalls and a cap, set to one side. He knew everyone, or I should say, everyone seemed to know him, but he was terrible with names. Someone would come up to him on the street, carry on a 15 minute conversation and then leave. After saying goodbye, he would look at me and say, " I know I should know that guy, but do you suppose I can remember his name! "
If there was ever a human who deserved a place on a tributes page such as this it is my Dad. And so I add him here because a gentle man of the land belongs with the gentlest of earth's creatures. Dad was 80 when he passed away. He had the first stroke in July of 1990. It was followed by a second in October, from which he did not recover. The picture is one of my favorites of Dad holding my Nephew Nick when he was a baby and wearing his favorite "suit"! We still miss you Dad and think about you every day. I suspect by now you have found Muffy (or she has found you!) and the rest of the kids! Please care for them until I get there!
The best we can do with anyone we are close to, pet or human alike, is to enjoy them everyday they are here. Make time for them, appreciate them and always tell them you love them. It makes the inevitable and difficult time when they leave a bit easier to bear, because you won't have to deal with the "regrets".
To all of my "special friends" who have gone ahead of me I say thank you for sharing your lives with me. I will see you again one day ---- at the Rainbow Bridge.
"And the Lord asked, "Are you ready" And we said "No" And then the Lord reached down and gently wiped our tears And softly said, "But she is" And as the sun peeked through the clouds He took her"
Sadly I have discontinued all Web Rings and most of my awards. It is just too difficult to constantly update them and their links when making changes to a site. A lot of times a ring will just disappear. Sometimes members don't update their links causing problems for the rest of the ring. Sometimes the Ring host makes silly changes (i.e., Yahoo) and forces you to obtain a password in addition to the one your ring master assigned and then places a banner on your ring page (even though your site may be banner free) So............until the web matures and some of this gets "sorted out", I will not be subscribing to any web rings. Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.
I have retained two award I received when I created my very first web site: Rural Ramblin' at Geocities. One is from Theresa Casella and it is in memory of her wonderful cat, Higgins. The other is from Carla Hunt and her wonderful cat and Leo's good buddy, Boomer. Boomer has since joined Higgins at the Rainbow Bridge. Leo still misses him a lot. Boomer's mom Carla has some new "fluffy tailed" kitties, so be sure and visit her site. They are really beautiful :)
"The Rainbow" copyright 1999 by Bruce DeBoer
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