Ode to a Dog

My sister's family lost a little piece of their soul last weekend when Buster made his way to the Rainbow Bridge. He's been a staple in my sister's life for nearly 14 years. Neither a dog's dog nor man's best friend, he kept a very tight circle of friends. He loved Jessica dearly and made everyone else audition for his approval. When I brought Nick to Indiana for the first time, I wasn't worried about whether my family would like him, but whether Buster would allow him to enter his house. We stayed in Jessica's apartment one night. By that time, the four-footed Houidini had cracked opening his kennel and was waiting for us when we entered the apartment. Nick passed the test.

Several years ago, Jessica called to tell me about someone she met while volunteering with the Sundance Film Festival.  When Jessica introduced him to Buster the same weekend, I knew Uncle K would be sticking around for awhile. While distrustful of all people, Buster never questioned whether our kids would be included in his circle of trust.

He had a special relationship with my mother. Back when he was living in Indiana, he would spend time at her house. She was always surprised when he took things, like a whole ham, out of a garbage can that didn't have a lid. Because he had such a guilty conscience, he never ate his treasures, but saved them for my sister.  Under her pillow.

He loved his brother Tucker and tolerated Hogan {the stick in the mud}. He loved fancy dog treats {he would gingerly lick the icing off his treat while Hogan & Buster inhaled theirs}, dressing up in costumes, prancing around the house with his leash in his mouth, retrieving humongous branches and looking out windows. He took several trips with us - Lake Tahoe, Big Sky, Montana and Vallecito, Colorado.

 It's been a tough loss for the kids. Lots of tears. Lots of trying to process the finality of death. Greta has promised to honor Buster on Día de Muertos. And though his bad breath was only surpassed by his bad gas, we will miss him for a very long time.