“I am not asking for a topless photo, Donna!”
A Samwise update, gentle walks, and a storyteller’s grave visit
Since last autumn, the plan has been to visit the graves of authors, the places that inspired them and their writing, and even their graves, on this year’s coddiwomple. Poets were included, as were storytellers.
You may remember that we stopped outside Joshua Tree National Park at the grave of filmmaker Frank Capra (It’s a Wonderful Life, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, It Happened One Night, etc.).
From the onset, I’ve felt more vulnerable during our travels. I knew there were lessons to learn, and my most important role was, to quote Mary Oliver, to be present.
I was also haunted by fears regarding Samwise’s age ever since a healthy blood test reminded me that he was eight.
What? How? Where did the years go?
Because Sam is a bigger dog, I understood that there was a chance he was entering the last third of his life.
How this aged my heart.
Ever since we left the desert, he’s not been the same. I’ve seen him slowing down on the uphills, sleeping longer, and being less playful with Emily. Then, after a hike in Carmel Valley, where I believe he may have eaten or drunk something that did not agree with him, he became ill. He vomited bile for 36 hours, didn’t want to eat, and lacked energy. One afternoon, when I went to the store, he did not wish to accompany Emily and me. That had never happened before.
I was worried enough to consider stopping our trip. I called Rachael Kleidon, our former vet and current loving friend, and asked for advice.
Thankfully, Samwise slowly improved. And even though he hiked more like his old self over Mount Wanda and Mount Helen on Saturday, I decided we’d change our trip. We’ll arrive in Lexington, Virginia, where Rachael will give Samwise a thorough check-up in two weeks. We plan to be there for up to a week while he undergoes tests.
I’m grateful to have Rachael in our corner because Samwise has slumped again since Saturday’s hike, which left me optimistic. He’s still walking, eating (but less than usual), and drinking (more than usual). He looks flat and is sleeping more again.
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