WAKING UP AT RAINBOW BRIDGE

Rosco sat up and looked around sleepily just as his tiny brother charged
at him. Mini was the runt of the litter - actually the smaller of 2 runts. At
almost 7 months he weighed 5 pounds to his larger littermates' 25 to 30 pounds.
Even Good Boy weighted nearly 15 pounds."Give it a break, Mini," Rosco
whined, "everything i have hurts." Good Girl and Hoppy were just waking and
gave Mini a warning look that they felt badly too and to lay down and leave
them alone. "No, no, no," yipped Mini. "Wake and stretch - it's all gone - no
aches no pains. And look at the grass and the flowers!"

As his 2 brothers and sister woke they realized Mini was right, they
didn't feel weak and the pain and fire in their insides was gone - they felt
good. Rosco looked around and wondered how long they had slept, it was winter
when he laid down in the old birthing box, too exhausted to move. He
remembered Daddy Blue trying to get him to get up and join Mommy Cinnammon
and his littermates in the dog house - "just let me rest - then I'll join you,
" he had thought. But it was warm and the grass was fresh and sweet and there
were flowers everywhere.

"Hey," Good Girl called,"look here - this is new!" Her littermates joined
her and saw she had found a small clear stream. Momma had seen that they always
had clean water and good food, that Mommy Cinnammon and Daddy Blue and the 6 of
them never went wanting and she loved them and played with them. But this water
moved and laughed. The four drank deeply and found it was sweet and soothing.

As the day progressed they found many new wonders. Despite the protection
of the pen being gone, they felt safe and soon stopped wondering at their new
freedom as they discovered wonder after wonder Every now and then one would
wonder where Good Boy and Little Girl were - where Momma and Mommy Cinnammon
and Daddy Blue were, but it was a large area - they would find them. Toward
late afternoon Hoppy looked up and stared in stunned silence, the other 3
looked up and they all realized the sky was one large rainbow. Then Good Girl
heard a sound comming from the reflecting pond. The 4 went and looked and were
shocked to see Momma and Grandmomma crying, and Daddy Blue and Little Girl and
Good Boy all looked so sick and Mommy Cinnammon looked so sad. And there was
another human there talking to Momma and Grandmomma. He seemed kind and gentle
as he carried Daddy Blue back to where he had Good Boy and Little Girl.

"He is a healer," a voice behind them said. The 4 puppies turned as one to
find themselves face to face with the largest dog they had ever seen - a large
dog with long silver fur. Mini was first to realize they could trust this one
and to find his voice. "Why are Momma and Grandmomma crying?" he asked. "They
are hurting because you are gone, and they are afraid for your brother,
Good Boy and sister Little Girl and Daddy Blue. And they are worried about your
Mommy Cinnammon and her unborn puppies," the Silver One said softly, and he
waited to allow them to understand what he had. "you will live here until your
Momma comes here. And in time others your Momma loves will come to live here,
too." He watched the pups a moment.

Then the Silver One looked off into the distance. As the pups followed his
gaze they saw a familiar figure walked toward them. Rosco ran back to the
reflecting pond and saw Momma and Grandmomma crying even more. He ran to join
the others as they ran tumbling over each other to greet their Daddy Blue. Blue
placed himself carefully between his 3 sons and little daughter and the large
stranger. After a moment he relaxed and nodded a greeting. The Silver One
smiled to him that it was alright, then he turned his attention to the pups.
"Do you remember Skeeter?" The 4 puppies nodded. "Come with me, Skeeter is
waiting for you," he said.

Mini ran back to the reflecting pond and looked, "What about Momma?"
The Silver One smiled kindly, "You may visit whenever you wish and even leave
her signs, Skeeter will explain. For now you need to enter Rainbow Bridge."
"Will you come with us ?" Mini asked. "No," the Silver One answered softly,
"I will wait here at the edge for my Papa"




             

ROSCO(12/9/05)              HOPPY (12/9/05)              GOOD GIRL (12/9/05)