Category Archives: trees

Bailey’s Tree- Fall’s First Blush

15 Saturday Oct 2016

Posted by in animal companions, animal families, border collies, dog/human relationships, dogs, Dogs named Bailey, faith, Fall, Journaling, love, loving dogs, loving life, parks, rememberence, rescue dogs, spirituality, The Rainbow Bridge, trees, Uncategorized, walking, Working Dogs

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The weather is finally Fall-like in Western, Pennsylvania. Bailey’s tree, her beautiful Red Maple, is dedicated to her at Buhl Park. We spent a lot of time there, as do Joy and I.

I love to watch the tree grow grow bigger each year and each Fall we look at the leaves and watch the little bits of red paint blush the tree leaves. Red was Bailey’s color. It was the color of her Coach collar and leash. A Red Maple is so fitting for her special tree and that is why I chose it.

The dog park she now faces was not there when the tree was planted. It is a new addition to the park and her tree has a perfect view of the dogs romping and playing. It’s perfect.

The leaves have just started to turn. I like that the change is slow and subtle. Joy and I walk in the park so many days during the week and it’s fun to see what changes happen right before our eyes.

Fall has always been my favorite season. It’s so colorful and crisp, although global warming has made it much warmer then I would like. I remember when September and October were freezing growing up in Chicago. 

Bailey died in the Fall of 2011, so while I love Fall it also brings  with it the anniversary of her crossing the Rainbow Bridge although I never feel like I am without her. She is omnipresent and she is within my heart. In the Fall and in each season, as the moon grows full and the earth rotates, we live our lives connected by nature.

 

The Purpose of A Dog is Love

19 Monday Sep 2016

Posted by in adopting a new dog, adopting dogs, books, border collies, dog adoption., dog kisses, Dog walking, dog/human relationships, dogs, Dogs named Bailey, joy, love, loving dogs, missing your dog, rescue dogs, Senior Dogs, spirituality, The Rainbow Bridge, trees, Working Dogs

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Dear Bailey,

Tomorrow is the day 5 years ago you left us in physical spirit but not a day goes by without your life beating in a large space in my heart and I am sure part of you in inside Ms. Joy. When I was walking her today at the park and visiting your tree I thought about the book, A Dog’s Purpose, which I read after you went over the Rainbow Bridge. Well, they are making a movie of the book and I will be the first one in line on January 26th. Of course the book begins with a dog names Bailey.

I remember thinking after I read that book not only do I totally agree that every animal we rescue takes on the spirit of the former fur child, but that a dog’s purpose is simply love and you and I loved each other so much even though you were a senior when I found you and we did not have as much time together as we would have liked, but I think I crammed at least 15 years of fun and love into the 3-1/2 years we enjoyed together. You were such a pleasure to be with and you shared your love so freely.  Joy is learning to do that more and more with others and I am certain you are helping out with that, and I am proud of her and you for caring so much about Joy, who is, like you a special girl who I am madly in love with.

I just wanted to say that you missed physically every day Bailey but you are with me and I am with you always and forever in our hearts and souls.

With all my love,

Mommy

Naked Leaves

31 Friday Oct 2014

Posted by in animal families, border collies, dog kisses, Dog walking, dog/human relationships, dogs, Fall, kisses, letters, love, loving dogs, loving life, memories, missing your dog, nature, parks, rainbow bridge, rememberence, rescue dogs, second chances, Senior Dogs, sky, spirituality, The Rainbow Bridge, the wind, trees, Uncategorized, walking, Working Dogs

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Dearest Bailey,

It’s that time of year. Three years and three days ago we were robbed of being with each other physically on earth together. But really we have never missed being with each other, have we? I must admit i loved to fluff up your long thick hair and kiss your long nose, but when I kiss Joy’s nose it’s just like yours. You Border Collies have that certain something – a cuddle factor unmatched by any other breed of dog child.

So we wrote the book together and just recently I was in Chicago and a girl who I had not seen in a long time, asked me to sign her copy. That was nice. You are everywhere, even when I travel. Today it’s Halloween. The weather was too rainy to get to the park, but it’s supposed to snow tomorrow, so even if it’s yucky, Joy and I will drive over to the park to see the snow there. I’m sure all your leaves will be gone by now.

Several days ago when I took these pictures of your tree at Buhl park, it was a gorgeous day, with air so crisp like a Winesap apple. Joy was having so much fun crunching in the colorful leaves she turned around twice just to jump up on me and kiss me as though she were thanking me – in fact I know she was- she was so happy to be there on such a nice day!

Each time we go I kiss one of your leaves until there are no more. I do not know why I feel your presence so much more there then in the yard in your special spot. I feel you come alive in the park so easily, through the wind and the way it blows, and motions that Joy makes either by rolling around in the grass by your tree or smelling spots exactly where you did. Not a day goes by little girl that you are not in my mind and heart. I wear your necklace and never take it off. You will always be there in many different ways and I just wanted you to know that I am always thinking of you! It’s your turn. Write me back. I hope you and everyone in Hyfryd are doing something fun for your Howl-O-Ween! Love, Mommy xoxoxoxoxox

Gallery

Spirits Touching

07 Monday Jul 2014

Posted by in animal families, border collies, coincidence, dog/human relationships, dogs, Dogs named Bailey, Journaling, letters, love, loving dogs, memories, missing your dog, rememberence, rescue dogs, The Rainbow Bridge, the wind, trees, Workign Dogs

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This gallery contains 3 photos.

Dear Mommy, I know you love it when I make the wind blow hard when you visit my tree at …

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Did You See My Rainbow?

26 Monday May 2014

Posted by in animal families, border collies, cats, dog adoption., dog/human relationships, dogs, Dogs named Bailey, Florida, Journaling, joy, letters, loving dogs, loving life, memories, missing your dog, rememberence, rescue dogs, second chances, spirituality, The Rainbow Bridge, trees

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Bailey in Yard so lovely

Hi Mommy!

Did you see the Rainbow I sent you tonight from Hyfryd? I knew daddy would show it to you cause I saw him standing outside right after the rain and I had felt you thinking about me yesterday and today since you are getting ready to go back to PA. I heard you ALREADY telling Joy that you cannot wait to see how big my Tree got at Buhl Park. I am NOT going to tell you so it will be a surprise. I cannot wait for you to visit our Red Maple!  I miss you so much lately. You know how much I loved riding in the car all the way from Florida to PA. I made the trip WAY more fun, didn’t I?  I never complained because it was so much fun to just relax, listen to music and eat treats for 1100 miles! Haha!! Now Joy gets to do that. I see you bought her a den so she will be more safe in the car. I think that was a good idea!

Not too much new to report. School is out now and I have to spend summer preparing for some new classes I want to create. One, I know you will like and I got the idea from our book, Letters to Each Other. I was thinking about calling it Love Communication 101. I will place an emphasis on how the doggies, kitties and all the animals here can learn to communicate better with their loved ones even though we do not share a physical world anymore. I will develop different techniques for them to learn; I still have to flesh it out. You know, some days it is so very hard, not just for me, but for a lot of my friends. Tarzan, Cheetah, Freedom and Lucky miss you so much. They heard you say the other day that you think about them all the time. I know you have their pictures everywhere, just like you have mine. I love that you are a picture taker. When you adopted me as a senior, I bet you took MY picture more than anyone ever took it in the 7 years I lived before we fell in love! I see you always taking Joy’s picture as well. That is good to create many memories. We need them. Being separated physically does NOT mean we forget anything!

Writing the book with you really made me MORE popular than I already was and you know how I could turn a head! Haha! You will be proud that everyone here has a copy of the book here and I do not know how you made that happen, but it’s wonderful just like you Mommy. You are the best Dog/Cat mom in the world! Give Safari boy and Joy a big kiss for me!

Well, I just wanted to make sure you saw the Rainbow I sent with all my thoughts and wishes of love. As you like to say “see you soon Bailey Girl…” In my heart and mind I see you each minute of every day.

All My Love,

Your Bailey Girl xoxoxooxox

A Tree Grown With Love…

23 Wednesday Oct 2013

Posted by in animal families, border collies, dog kisses, dog/human relationships, dogs, Dogs named Bailey, Fall, Journaling, letters, loving dogs, loving life, missing your dog, nature, rememberence, rescue dogs, second chances, spirituality, talking dogs, The Rainbow Bridge, trees

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Baileys tree fall 2013Bailey looking so gorgeous

Dearest Bailey,

Your tree in Buhl Park looks so beautiful this third week of October, 2013. It has started to blush more frequently with its beautiful Red Maple leaves. Red of course was your color, although you always looked brilliant and all colors became you.

I think of you everyday of course, but the 28th is the second anniversary of you leaving us for over the Rainbow Bridge and not a day goes by that you are not with me. You know that and I just had to tell you. Joy reminds me SO much of you except you had no fear of people like she still does of some. I am sure she knows how to sniff out the ones I do not like anyway. She is such a little lover girl and is very happy with her life. Like you, she has the great life that you left behind, but I know you are having lots of fun with Tarzan, Cheetah, Freedom, Anwen and all your pals and students that love you so much in Hyfryd.

I meant to ask you something. Has Molly found you all? I wished a special thought that she would find her way to your neighborhood. I know if she did you have welcomed her to the pack. John and Tracy miss her and so  do I – somehow it is not the same without her barking next door when she sees us pull into our driveway. I always liked that she said hello. Please let me know about her okay?

Our book, Letters To Each Other, is selling well. If anyone who reads this blog is interested they can find it here: http://tinyurl.com/n4jzkgw

 It makes me very proud that we finished the book, but it really is a continuing story and it will never end, really. Love is infinite and so are you. On my mind, in my heart and in my soul. I love you Sweet Bailey. Write me soon.
Love and Kisses,
your mommy

 

A Leaf and a Paw…

05 Saturday Oct 2013

Posted by in border collies, cats, dog kisses, doggy kisses, dogs, Fall, letters, missing your dog, sky, spirituality, talking dogs, The Rainbow Bridge, trees

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bailey red leaf

Saafari writes to Bailey

 

Dear Mommy,

I am sending you these two pictures. What? You did not know I could Send YOU pictures did you? It’s something new that this really. really cool donkey named Colby invented. People think donkeys are stupid, but they really aren’t. In fact, Colby is super smart and adorable too., You would LOVE him – not as much as you love me of course, but you know what I mean.

His idea is called Rainbow Pic and he heard about all this cloud stuff you all are doing on earth. People put pictures and papers into their clouds, which we think is very funny because we LIVE in the clouds. I saw you looking out the plane when you went to Chicago. You always look at the clouds and think of me – I KNOW! I can see you and I miss you. DO me a favor though and never take that tiny plane again back to Pittsburgh, okay? Good!

Anyway, Rainbow Pic has been SUCH a phenomenon here because everyone is it. We take pictures a bit differently than you do. We just point our paw, claw or hoof at what we want to capture and viola!  We heard that new iPhone has some kind of fingerprint recognition and everyone thinks that is cool. Imagine what they would think of our way. Literally “point and shoot!” ha!

I saw you sit down this morning to do some work and it was funny how Safari was trying to write. I think it was his way of saying hello. He must miss me sooooo much! Joy sure herds him around quite a bit. I do not think he likes it so much but he needs to move around and I do thinks he loves attention – not that he does not get enough from you!

So you like how the one lone red leaf changed? I like to get my tree going slowly! The same thing happened last year, remember? It’s my very special leaf just for you to show you that I am still there with you always.

I know it is been too long since I wrote but classes have been crazy busy. Seems like there is a lot of abuse going on down there and our classes are so needed. No one here understand why anyone would treat an innocent animal anyway but sweetly. The physical world needs more kindness to animals and toward other people! We think it’s hurting the whole earth in so many ways. I mean even the government cannot get along! That is so ridiculous. Here everyone gets along and love and kindness is all that there is. Of course only the nice ones get all this!

Well, I just wanted to say good morning. I love you so much and miss you touching me, but when you stroke Joy’s fur, I know you think of me as well.

Yours forever,

Bailey Girl

Our Book, Letters to Each Other is Published!

26 Friday Jul 2013

Posted by in adopting dogs, books, coincidence, dog adoption., dog kisses, dog/human relationships, Journaling, letters, missing your dog, parks, Petfinder, rememberence, rescue dogs, second chances, Senior Dogs, spirituality, The Rainbow Bridge, the wind, trees, Uncategorized, www.petfinder.com

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IMG_0200letters from bailey coverDearest Bailey, Well, after MUCH hard work, our efforts have paid off. Our book, Letters to Each Other, is now out. It will take a couple of weeks for it to appear on Kindle, but that’s okay they can buy a hard copy now. For all your pals in Hyfryd here is the link:https://www.createspace.com/4161035. Also, I created a beautiful website for it as well so that you can direct everyone to http://www.letterstoeachother.com. I know you and Barkley, Anwen, Tarzan, Cheetah, Freedom and everyone will be helping to promote our book. When is your first book signing? I told createspace to ship you some books! I took this picture of your tree yesterday at Buhl Park, the day the book was published. When I got there the wind came in very strong and this one very dark green leaf was actually waving as though you were saying hello. I loved that. Do you like the cover? I really do! They did a great job with the design don’t you think? I want to hear all of your thoughts because really, the book is all about you sweet girl. Of course we are working girls and I still have much work to do here to help promote the book. I decided to give $1 of each book sold to Indian Summers Border Collie Rescue, since that is where you sent me to find our Joy. If your friends need more information, the website is http://www.indiansummers.org. I love you Bailey. Always and Always. More later. I have to get back to work and so do you!   xo, me

A Tree-Blushed Kiss…

21 Sunday Oct 2012

Posted by in adopting a new dog, animal families, border collies, coincidence, dog/human relationships, dogs, Dogs named Bailey, Fall, Journaling, joy, letters, loving dogs, loving life, missing your dog, nature, parks, Poetry, rainbow bridge, rememberence, rescue dogs, second chances, Senior Dogs, spirituality, talking dogs, teaching, The Rainbow Bridge, trees, Working Dogs

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 Dear Bailey,

You blushed in full bloom. You are a stand-out amongst the hundreds of other trees at Buhl Park, so red and full like a woman’s lips searching for a kiss. And who kissed you more than me?

Today is October 21 and week from now will be one year since you went to Hyfryd and it seems so much longer.  So much longer, yet I am so proud of all you have taught me and all you continue to do there. Our spirits are so aligned and I feel you everywhere. Russell talks about you all the time and you know I talk to Joy & Safari about you everyday. To be honest I still feel sad some days when I think about how much I miss you.  That is how I am. n Cheetah and Freedom and Lucky are always at the top of my mind. Sharing your life with an animal companion is very special because of its very nature and relationship. There is nothing else like it and it is different from humans. Animals of all kinds love without condition – something that some humans have not learned to do with each other. There is just a special sweetness that is unbridled. I know so many people like us too who feel compelled to be part of an animal’ s life, be it a dog or cat, horse or bird. It’s simply part of who you are or not but I am glad I=it’s always been part of me and when we met you became entwined into my soul as I have with you.

Joy reminds me of you in a lot of ways but she truly is a puppy. She is still discovering the world and she has much to learn. She is a lot of fun and she literally makes all of us laugh everyday. Safari and her play so sweetly and truly like each other a lot.  I have to say my working girl, you certainly kept your promise and found us the perfect girl for all of us. She will never take your place, please know that. She simply has her own and thanks to you – with help from Victoria – she found her way here, where she belongs.

I just wanted to say hello after seeing your tree today. I wanted to say I love you, I am with you and thinking of you daily. Your pictures are in front of me and your spirit surrounds us.

The Changing Leaves…Green and holding

08 Monday Oct 2012

Posted by in animal families, border collies, cancer in dogs, coincidence, dog adoption., dog/human relationships, dogs, Dogs named Bailey, Doing Your Best, Journaling, joy, letters, loving dogs, loving life, missing your dog, nature, parks, rainbow bridge, rescue dogs, second chances, Senior Dogs, spirituality, talking dogs, teaching, The Rainbow Bridge, trees, Uncategorized, Working Dogs

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Dear Mommy,

Did you see that I am holding on to my green leaves? Only a couple of red tips so far, that is all you can see. October is not my favorite month and I know it is definitely not yours either. I don’t really want to focus on how I left you this month because  “the sad-day date” is still far off yet, but a year has sure travelled fast hasn’t t? I know you feel it has as well.

I did NOT want to leave you, but my body did not want to perform anymore I guess and the best way to continue my love, kindness and good work was to wind up here in Hyfryd, where I am doing great in all those departments. Since teaching the classes on life after the Rainbow Bridge, I too have realized so much about life on earth versus life on Hyfryd. I love that my body feels so good all the time here. I often think, is that worth not waking up next to our bed anymore? I try to make sense of those type of thoughts but realize that life is just life, filled with happiness, sadness, rewards and expectations, but what is most important is love and knowledge. There is nothing more important than love and as you know, there is nothing so pure and simple as the love between a man/woman and their animal companion. Nothing.

I love that you planted our tree in my honor and I love that you visit it constantly. I know the visits to the tree at the park are more meaningful than my special place in the yard.  You know why, don’t you? Of course it is because you and I loved walking in that park together, just as you do with Joy now. The time we spent there – each moment was perfect (except for the couple of times you fell! That was funny sorry!) and happy. My special place is of course right outside the door to our sweet home, but Buhl Park, while it is everyone’s home, can be your home in the minutes and hours when you walk there.

So for now I am holding onto my green leaves. Even though my color is red, I am not shedding them for winter quite yet. I am staying as green for now just for you, with just that tinch of red. Like the tree there, I have grown here in Hyfryd. You taught me how to be grateful and mostly –  loved unconditionally. I try to pass on all those qualities to my students. They tell me I am doing a good job because they are learning how to live here without their families and when you first arrive it is a difficult adjustment, but if you can find ways to contribute then it becomes acceptable, sort of. I will never not miss you and I know, by watching you every single day, that you  feel the same.

It was funny in Chicago the other day when your cousin asked you about how you came to love dogs when you had cats your whole life (and still do, of course!) and you mentioned April’s influence and Marla, your former vet. If I never did, then I have to thank April for that because if it was her love of us dogs that originally rubbed off on you then good for her because she did a great job of making you crazy about us! Ha! Of course I know you would be anyway because, as Marla always said, it’s a different relationship. It is. Especially me and you.  One of extreme kindness, caring and endless love.

Your Sweet Bailey, Forever and Ever…..Write me soon! I love you,