This weekend we learned that an old friend passed away.
We first met Bleaux when we went to Aunt Tricia’s house to visit. At the time, I don’t think his name was Bleaux. I’m not sure he even had a name, to tell you the truth. All we knew was the he was the prettiest golden and white dog with the most magnificent blue eyes. We believed that he was part wolf/part husky mix, but no one really knew. He was skittish and wouldn’t come within 10 feet of any male with a cap on. We visited Aunt Tricia several times, and each time he would be there. Eventually we learned that his owner wasn’t the best of people and really didn’t treat him as a pet should be treated. Gigi and I formulated a plan…
We were going to break him free! All we knew was that he didn’t belong where he was getting the treatment he was getting. Now we weren’t Thelma and Louise, MacGuyver, or the A-Team, but we were courageous, and a little sneaky. We were on a mission. Gigi picked up some tranquilizers from the vet, and we headed out. We arrived at Aunt Tricia’s determined to bring this wonderful dog home with us. We gave him half a tranquilizer. The vet had advised it would take about 30 minutes to take effect, so we waited. And we waited, and we waited. 30 minutes came and went and this dog was still chugging. So we decided to try to other half. So in it went and the waiting game began again. Waiting…waiting…waiting….Ugh was this dog never going to go down. We knew that we would NEVER get him in the car without the help of the medication. So we tried the second tranquilizer. And waited. And what do you know?! He was out like a light. Seeing this time as our best opportunity, and not knowing how long he would be out, we muscled up and got him into a kennel in the car. And off we drove him to freedom. Well, our house.
We arrived at our house and the poor dear was still out. We got the kennel inside and waited while the effects began to wear off. When he opened his eyes, he was in his new home.
Little did we know that tranquilizers cause constipation. (Those of you who didn’t know, please take note!) So the poor guy was a howling mess when he tried to go to the bathroom when we took him out. But, eventually, that too passed. Bleaux stayed indoors with Lady Grace while we were at work. He suffered the worst separation anxiety I’ve ever seen. He would sit on the couch and look out the window at the other dogs on the ranch, Honey and Maggie, and wish to be out there with them. We were afraid that he would try to run away. And we didn’t want that after our brilliant rescue efforts. But the day came when we knew it was time to let him run with the outdoor pack. We came home to the back half of our couch being strewn all over the house. Literally, our couch was missing half of the back. Stuffing, boards, fabric…everything. We weren’t angry, just shocked, but we knew it was time to turn him outside.
He took to the pack with Maggie and Honey very quickly. He would visit the other neighborhoods, but would always return. Maggie and Honey ended up going to live with other families for various reasons, but Bleaux was our ranch dog. He was dependable. He would always notify us of visitors even before we could see them down the driveway. He would follow Norma to and from her home and patiently wait to make sure she made it inside. He would keep the ranch free of snakes and other vermin. He even got along well with newcomers Beaux and Kitty Kitty. And of course he would be rewarded with treats and a lot of love. He would have been content with all day tummy rubs.
In his years at Hawk’s Nest Ranch in Georgetown, he had many adventures. He was hit by a car, thus making his tail pretty useless. He ended up stinking beyond belief after rustling through garbage and who knows what. No one wanted to go near him, and all he wanted was someone to scratch his belly. He was even caught in a coyote trap for several days. This was the most harrowing of ordeals because we couldn’t find him and of course tried to drive our minds away from thinking the worst. But he persevered through all his adventures, and when Dad and Gigi retired to Leakey, Bleaux went with them. Heck, he deserved it.
Out at the new ranch, he grew fat and happy. Of course he had friends like Beaux and Poofy and Pea. In the beginning, he would tag along wherever anyone went. He would keep Gigi aware of snakes while she worked in the yard. He would keep Dad company as he worked out on the ranch. Whenever anyone came to visit, he still notified the family of their arrival. And of course, he and Beaux would mark every single tire of every vehicle that came on the property. If you drove it there, then it was his. If you were one of the people who just liked to wander around the ranch in the early morning or even the afternoon, Bleaux was content to follow and sack out in any shade near you. All he would hope for was a tummy rub every now and then.
As he got older, he got slower. He would still try to follow, but wouldn’t make it as far as the destination, but you would find him resting in the shade along the way, usually in the barn. He still loved his tummy rubs. His hearing faded and so did his eyesight, but he was still fat and happy and very much loved. He passed in his sleep with a tummy full of dinner. Still fat and happy, and still loved.
Dad and Gigi chose to bury him at the ranch and surrounded him with a border of rocks in the shape of a heart. That is where he is now, in our hearts. Still fat….still happy….but most definitely loved.
