I arrived a little early, and walking under that gate into that quiet place was hard, knowing my friend was taking her last walk with her little budy, saying her final goodbye. My eyes welled up before anything even got started.
Dogs from WWI.
But once it did, seeing all the therapy and honor guard dogs in attendence, all the people there to pay their respects, it felt a little better.
Not to say I didn’t use my tissue multiple times.
One of many dogs there to wittness the last goodbye.
Katie and Deuce visited this place many years ago. It’s a beautiful cemetary, and I know I’ll take Penny there to visit someday this fall, when the weather is cooler and we can spend some time exploring.
Deuce’s therapy dog group, getting ready to pay their respects during the last walk.
I know my friend is going to miss her little buddy every day forever, but what an honor to have him spend eternity with other special dogs, all of them having served not just their own people but hundreds of others.
Over 600 therapy dog visits, my friend said during her talk about him. More than 600 times he gave people comfort and smiles and love. Lots more than that when you count all the love he gave his mom, and Katie and me, and all his other friends.
A 21 second howling salute at the end of the service.
So long, sweet Deuce. You have planted your prints on so many hearts, we’re going to remember you and miss you forever.
I would like to let you all know that my good friend Deuce the cocker spaniel is now safe with me and his other dog friends over the Rainbow Bridge. Last night mama asked me to keep an eye out for him because he’d be journeying today, and to make sure he got introduced around here once he arrived.
Deuce, May 23, 2012 – March 18, 2025.
She said she didn’t want him to feel alone or scared, and since we were buddies back in the day she knew I’d be glad to see him again and that I’d take good care of him. Well, it turns out there were several dog friends waiting expectantly for him, so he had quite a wonderful reunion.
Deuce could fly even before he crossed the bridge!
Mama also asked me to tell you about his remarkable life because, she says, typing when her eyes are leaking is really hard. So, let me tell you about my friend Deuce.
Always happy when he could run on a trail.
Deuce and I go way back. Our moms got us together pretty often to walk in parks, near his house and over at my parks too. Some of my best walks ever were with my friend Deuce.
We sure enjoyed walking together.
He was always a gentleman and let me pee on stuff first, then he’d pee there to validate the spot. We usually walked separately but together, if you know what I mean. If either of us discovered a good spot we’d invite the other one over to enjoy it, but in general we were our own dog on most of our walks.
Sometimes he liked to photobomb me, just for fun.
Not to say we didn’t sit near each other a lot when asked, mostly to humor the moms.
Yep, we’d sit together if it made the moms happy.
But Deuce did a lot of other things besides walk with me. He was a very dedicated, certified, therapy dog. He visited nursing homes and schools and had special friends there that loved him, and he loved them back.
Deuce pays his respect at a wall honoring military dogs who have gone on ahead.
As soon as he put his therapy dog vest on he knew he was working and he loved every minute of it. Why he even went up to people in wheelchairs when he was out and about and not in his official capacity. He just seemed to know when someone needed a little snuggle.
A special stop to visit Cody the therapy dog.
He liked adventure too. One summer I took Deuce and his mom camping with me. Deuce had never camped before but he settled right into the new experience. He had his own tent that he shared with his mom, and his own chair to sit in when we hung out around the fire.
We each had our own tents, no cohabitating allowed!
But mostly on that trip we walked and played in the woods around the campground. Deuce liked to climb up on stuff we’d find there; he was a very good jumper.
Deuce never met a log he didn’t want to climb on!
He was a few years younger than me, so usually I let him jump high up and pose and I’d settle myself somewhere below.
We liked to goof off together.
Both of us were good about sharing our moms. And we let them take as many pictures of us as they wanted. Which, I guess, is good now that he’s up here with me. I think all those pictures will make our moms feel just a little better as they remember all the good times we had together.
I love you, mom! We’re a team!
I feel I’ve known Deuce forever! I first met him at doggy school where we were both learning obedience. Deuce was much more obedient than me. He was such a fast learner and such a good dog. He was and always will be his mom’s Little Buddy, and he’d do or learn anything for her.
She doesn’t know what she will do without him.
Deuce and his mom on our camping adventure.
Deuce says he wants to reassure her that he’ll be watching over her and his younger brothers and if she needs him, especially to put the youngest one in his place, why, he’ll be right there. Guaranteed.
His walks with his mom were special.
He says he’s sorry he had to move on, but as the top dog of the household it’s his responsibility to make sure everything up ahead is copesetic. He says that will be one of his main duties while he’s here waiting for his mom.
I figure there will also be time for long walks, and maybe even some running and jumping, just like he and I used to do.
Things look good up here, mom!
Deuce and I used to race each other sometimes on our walks. We’d line up and the moms would call “COME!” and we’d both run toward them. I usually let Deuce win. Though it’s entirely possible he was just faster than me. Up here ,everybody wins and we get to run and run as much as we want!
He beat me fair and square on this race.
Deuce and his mom were a great team. He wants her to remember him that way, as part of their team while they did obedience, or rally, or when he was working as a therapy dog, or even when they were just walking through the woods together.
Team Deuce.
Deuce says he’ll always be part of that team and he’ll always love his mom, just like she’ll always love him.
Deuce looked handsome in any season.
He reminds us that love is forever, no matter what. I know you guys will miss seeing him every day, but if you look closely, when you’re out in the woods, or napping on the sofa, or training one of the younger dogs, I bet you’ll see him, right there, just around that corner.
Deuce stayed with my folks once, after I had to leave. He helped them when they were missing me.
You might not see it right now, but he’s smiling, and patiently waiting until he sees you again. In the meantime Deuce and I have walks to do and dogs to meet. Please be happy for us. We are young and healthy and feeling wonderful now.
Sometimes Deuce looked like a grumpy old man, but he was always smiling underneath.
We promise we’ll be right here when it’s your time to cross the Rainbow Bridge.
We’re together, right here over the bridge, waiting for our people!
Deuce is a special boy, and he touched the lives of a whole lot of people. I know you all wish him the very best adventures over on this side of the Rainbow Bridge.
Well, we’ve got a lot to do up here, so I’ll sign off for now, Deuce and I just wanted you to know we’re doing just fine and we love you.
Talk later,
Your Bridge Tour Guide, Katie-girl, and her Intrepid Buddy, Deuce.
Longtime readers might remember that every October many of us bloggers deliberately take a walk, then post a few (or a lot) of images and descriptions. Robin, over at Breezes at Dawn, hosts the Walktober, compiling everyone’s posts into one at the end of the month.
This year the official dates for Walktober are October 8th through October 24th. But if you need a little bit more time just let Robin know and she’ll try to accommodate you.
Let’s go on a walk!
It’s so much fun to take you all along on a walk. And it’s fun to read everyone else’s post, to explore a part of the country, or the world, that we might never get to visit any other way.
In the last couple of weeks I’ve been on two walks, complete with friends and their dogs and I’ve considered whether I should use those walks as my official Walktober.
Deuce and Ace patiently posing.
After all, I was walking, and it was October, and better yet, there were dogs!
But ultimately, though these were both really fun walks, I decided to take you with me to a place I’d never been before. And today I explored a new park.
Jasper enjoys a spot of sunlight.
But today’s images aren’t ready for the public yet, and I knew you wouldn’t want to miss pictures of dogs…so I’m sharing those here.
Maybe you’ve done a Walktober in previous years, or maybe you haven’t but think it would be fun. Either way, I encourage you to take some time out of your day and get outside.
Robin’s rules are easy. Take a walk or ride a bike, jog or go for a drive, just get outside, grab an image or two and then post about your experience. Link your post to this post of hers and she’ll be sure to add you to her list of people enjoying the beautiful October outdoors.
A dignified Jasper pauses for a pose.
And if you’re worried that you don’t have any country trails to share, maybe no autumnal color, well, one year I took everyone to downtown Detroit for my Walktober submission, and had a wonderful time showing you that a city is a great place to walk too.
There are plenty of beautiful days left in October!
Look around you, there’s bound to be something, perhaps your own yard, that you’d like to show us.
Let’s spend October sharing our wonderful worlds with each other. I can’t wait to see something of your part of the world!
I can’t even believe I have to tattle on mama again. It’s not as if I haven’t discussed time management skills with her before. I even thought, these past couple of years, that she was finally getting the hang of paying attention to me and only me.
But she fell off the wagon yesterday.
Deuce and his little brother Ace on the shores of Lake Huron.
While I was home napping supervising my daddy she was off galivanting with other dogs. And worse, they were boy dogs! She can’t fool me, I might be old and deaf but my nose still works just fine!
I can’t believe it! Seriously, I am too old for these kinds of shenanigans. Mama should know better.
Ace is only 2, and he likes the water. Silly boy.
She says she thought about taking me but decided the drive would be too scary, what with how I shake when I have to go in the car these days. I told her that she’d shake too if the only place she ever got to go was the vet!
Deuce is 10 and smart, like me. We don’t like our feet getting damp.
So she said she was sorry, and she made me my supper and tickled my ears and tried to play lovey-dovey.
These guys will pose anywhere for a treat. I need to tell them about my one image, one treat clause.
But I told her there was only one way she could make it up to me, only one thing she could do to make me consider forgiving her this time.
Yep.
That’s how I got to go on a nice long walk with my mama in my park right after supper while the sun was setting.
You owed me mama, and you know it!
But shhhhhhh. Don’t tell mama, but I didn’t mind staying home all that much. I got lots of loving from my daddy and lots of naps and I didn’t miss a single meal either.
That was your one picture, mama, now lets get to walking.
Yes, I know you heard from me quite recently, but mama has been really busy and being a responsible dog, I feel the need to fill the void here on mama’s my blog.
Deuce and me before our walk in the woods!
Because mama is so busy it’s pretty easy to make her feel guilty about neglecting me. So I’ve been exploiting using that guilt to get her to take me on walks at several parks.
Sitting together for our obligitory picture in the fall leaves.
Having wonderful October weather doesn’t hurt either. I think mama should thank me for getting her outside to enjoy the last bit of warm weather before it starts snowing.
Anyway…last week I got to meet up with my friend Deuce and explore Dinosaur Hill, a park over near where he lives with his mom.
Deuce thinks he’s going to get a treat photo-bombing my shot!
As you can see, somebody had decorated the park, getting it all ready for Halloween which is coming up soon here in the United States.
What is all this stuff, mama?
We had a real nice walk. So nice in fact that we walked all the way around the little park two times! I felt wonderful, and sometimes I even led out front, something that I never did even back when I was a youngster!
Hurry up you guys, it smells great over here!
Mama was real happy that I was real happy.
I guess I should tell you guys, if you don’t already know, that I have some days when I don’t feel so good. It turns out my kidneys aren’t working at full strength.
Don’t feel bad for me, I’m still a happy girl.
A few weeks ago the vet said I had progressed to stage 4 kidney disease and that made mama and daddy very sad. But then last week my numbers were a lot better, so now they feel a little bit better.
I don’t know what’s in my future, but you can be sure I’ll parlay it into more walks!
Deuce thought he’d find treats up there, but nope!
In fact, a couple days after my Dinosaur Hill adventure mama took me to one of my own parks, Davis Lake Overlook which is right by my house. I call it Katie’s Park II.
It was another beautiful day, kind of windy, but I don’t mind that, wind just makes me more beautiful.
Me at my park on another beautiful day!
Mama said we were only going to go a little ways down the trail. She didn’t want me going too far because she didn’t want to have to carry me back. Silly mama!
I thought we should keep going, right down this big hill. Mama thought I was over estimating my ability.
We got to the top of a big hill and mama said we should turn back. I said no way! We argued about that for quite some time.
I love being in my woods.
And then I won and we went down the big hill and up the other side and around to my favorite part of the park. I walked all the way back too, I never once asked mama to pick me up.
We saw a little bit of color. Of course mama had to take a picture.
So there mama, you don’t have to coddle me! On these bright beautiful fall days I can’t wait to get outside and into the woods!
I thought maybe I’d find something good under the picnic table. But nope.
In fact, mama took me to another of my parks tonight, but I’ll save those pictures for another post.
Hey! Do YOU guys have any treats? Cause mama is restricting treat dispersment around here.
I figure you’re pretty much overstimulated with all these images of me. Though I have to say, there’s not a bad picture in the bunch. Naturally.
Always a cover girl.
Talk later,
Your Katie-girl, rock star, hiker extraordinaire, and all around glamour girl.
Change Is Hard 