Tag: Goodbye

The on-deck goodbye

After quitting blogging in 16 days, the on-deck goodbye is Glacier.

By the way, quitting Glacier has a unique context. Almost like a disclaimer.

The plan is to quit the ‘prolific’ annual stays in Glacier.

The plan is to remain open to future, shorter, visits. Perhaps annually. Time will tell.

The idea of visiting for only a week or two in a given year seems uncomfortable weird. Simultaneously, it feels way better than saying ‘never returning’.

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This website is about our SPIRIT. To enjoy today’s post about our WORK, click here.

Saying goodbye to Glacier

Saying goodbye to Glacier snuck up on me.

Not saying the thought is new. Saying it seemed farther off than 2025.

Last year it became clear that i could never live there. Had always held a romantic belief that somehow it could work. Last Summer’s (2024) extended stay in East Glacier was convincing. East Glacier was the final ‘town’ on my list of possibilities. Discovered that the cold and desolation couldn’t tip the scale.

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This website is about our SPIRIT. To enjoy today’s post about our WORK, click here.

Can’t Hurt To Look

Our Final Night With Carter, February 13
Our Final Night With Carter, February 13

Tomorrow Carter would have turned 11, but 25 days ago on Valentine’s Day morning, we laid Carter to a peaceful rest.

Cheryl has already begun the process of rebuilding our Family.

And the same day (yesterday) she shows me Carter’s breeder’s website, was the same day these ten tips on getting a puppy found their way to my inbox.

Coincidence is God’s way of remaining anonymous.

The tips are common sense but not common practice. Reading them reminded me how you get out of your Pet what you put into your Pet.

We put in a ton.

And still, Carter taught us more than we taught him.

The End Was Imminent

We Will Miss You, Carter
We Will Miss You, Carter

Imminent. Looming. Threatening.

This is what we thought October 2008, just over a year ago.

Our beloved Canine Son, Carter, a nine-year old Yellow Lab, was very sick.

Our Vet spotted an unusual sore in the roof of Carter’s mouth during his routine annual exam two months prior.

The sore ate a hole in the roof of his mouth at an alarming rate – what seemed literally overnight. In hindsight, maybe we panicked.

We honestly thought that Carter may not see another weekend and we quickly made arrangements for “one last trip” to our favorite Family vacation spot, Sanibel Island.

We talked with our son (eight) about death. We talked about our favorite Carter memories. We talked about what we’d miss the most about Carter.

We said goodbye to Carter.

The Lord works in mysterious ways.

Carter is still with us. He still struggles with the complications from the hole when he drinks and eats, but overall, it’s a miracle he’s still here.

Tomorrow, the gift that visit brought us.