December 7, 2023. Day 4 of rain. Very unusual weather for Aguascalientes at this time of year. I actually snuck out yesterday for a walk. I had time to do about 2.5 kilometers before the rain started up again. It’s rather treacherous walking around here when the ground is wet. Uneven pavement and high curbs are often a challenge when it’s dry.

December 7, 2008. I can’t believe that fifteen years has gone by since we lost Little Koal. In some ways it seems like just yesterday. For my new readers, Koal was our dog when I lived in Canada. He was just shy of sixteen when he woke me one morning on that last day of his life. He always slept in bed with me and cuddled up next to me. It was a Sunday morning and should have been a sleep late day, but Koal was having a seizure and it woke me.

Koal never knew he was a dog. He thought he was a child. Yes, we spoiled him. But then my kids did refer to him as their baby brother. When my kids grew up and moved out, I’d tell Koal his brother or his sister was coming over and he’d plant himself in front of the living room window where he could keep an eye on the driveway.

Koal was also a vegetarian by choice which necessitated countless trips to the USA to buy him his food. Unfortunately back then vegetarian dog food wasn’t available in Manitoba where we lived. He loved the fries at VJ’s and whenever I went through a fast food drive-thru i always got him a salad. When I was preparing dinner he couldn’t care less if there was meat around, but when those veggies came out he drove me crazy! He was only a few months old when he dragged a large bag of salad into his kennel and hid. I was sure I had bought salad at Costco that day and the last place I thought I’d find it was in Koal’s kennel. From then on the veggies were put away before the meat.

My kids taught Koal all kinds of tricks and were an amazing help in training him when he first joined our family. Both kids were still living at home back then. They showered him with treats and one kitchen cupboard was designated for Koal.

I worked mainly from home back then and Koal had a little bed in my office. I’d be on the computer and he’d be sleeping beside me. The minute I’d stand up to leave the room he was awake and following me. Koal was my shadow.

Koal also had his own chair at the dining room table. And on his birthday I always baked him a cake with no icing. My kids made sure there were candles and sparklers on that cake too. I enjoy looking back at some of those photos. It was like I had three kids, not two.

Koal also had quite a wardrobe. When my mom was alive she crocheted sweaters for him to wear in the winter. My kids bought him all kinds of t-shirts and they loved to dress him up. My son was totally enamored with the San Francisco 49ers and bought Koal a t-shirt, collar and leash. Koal even had Halloween costumes.

In Koal’s senior years, he faced challenges with his hearing and eyesight. But that didn’t phase him. Arthritis prevented him from running and jumping and he had to be lifted up onto the bed at night. But his amazing personality glowed until the day we had to put him down.

A former neighbor, Ron, was our vet. He came into the clinic that Sunday for us. I held Koal in my arms one last time, my son on one said of me and my daughter on the other. We were all in tears, even Ron. I went home to an empty house. For days after, I kept finding toys and treats all over the house. Koal was still everywhere.

I really miss having a dog but my present nomadic lifestyle just doesn’t lend itself to having a pet again. It’s bad enough that I deal with three sets of immigration in three countries every year. A dog would make it even more complicated.

Maybe someday I’ll settle down. And I know what the first thing I will buy is, and it’s not furniture.