This cache is placed in memory of a wonderful companion.
My son's dog - Tara, recently passed away just weeks short of her 14th birthday. She was a Border Collie/Huskie cross who played hard and worked hard. Her herding nature meant she would rest when all was well and everyone was home. She often slept under or beside my desk until my bedtime then would trot to her bed.
My son described her as "an inquisitive, loving trickster who enjoys travelling" when she was the Waterloo Region Record's - Pet of the Week. As a young puppy, if we were eating something, she would run to the front door and bark enthusiastically as if someone was there. When we would return to our food, she was delightedly wolfing it down. Unfortunately for her, we caught on to her trick. Looking for attention from me once on a laundry day, she popped in to the dryer and sat there looking very cute.
Female dogs are often very protective of their property. Our's was kept "varmit free" thanks to her. Squirrels, chipmunks, groundhogs, possums, salesmen, vehicles turning around in our driveway, hot air balloons were quickly escorted off. No more eavestrough downspouts will need to be repaired, no woodpiles will need to be restacked if an errant chipmunk decided it would be a great hiding spot. The squirrels at the bird feeders won't need to worry about having to scurry up the washline post sometimes two at a time. She sometimes ran around the yard pushing a 4" diameter black drainage pipe on her nose with a hiding chipmunk inside. When Grandma and Grandpa planted their mighty Elm next door, she eagerly climbed into the hole to help dig. After her hysterectomy, we brought her home with strict instructions to rest. I had her beside me as I worked on the flowerbeds. A few minutes later, ground was flying as she decided to help out.
She loved to play. Tennis balls, frisbee's, dragging and riding her toboggan around the back yard Irregardless of the season. If the kayak or the canoe were out, she was game. She loved the motorhome and camping. She quickly decided that riding shotgun was for her while I got to ride in the backseat.
The sump pump was endlessly fascinating for her. She was never a fan of dressing up, especially that Mrs. Claus outfit that got a little tighter each year.
She never was near a stream, river, lake or ocean that she didn't want to swim in. Lake Huron, Chesley Lake, Marden Pond, Hamilton Harbour, the Grand River, and Snyder's Flats were some of her favourites. If we were within kilometres of any, she would bounce with excitement as we got near. The pet wash in town was not her favourite place to be, even though sometimes her three encounters with skunks and other odiferous substances she got into necessitated a visit there. She wouldn't make eye contact if she reeked of "eau de Grand Riviere" or "pepe le peu". She loved to hike and run. Many trails were explored with her. Usual walking spots for us were The Hydrocut trails and the Crown Land trails in Petersburg, along the Nith if the bugs were bad, and in later years Schmidt Woods.
My husband would take her along when he flyfished, although I don't think he got as much fishing done those days due to her antics.
She appreciated a perfectly done steak, butter tarts and liver snaps. She would playfully try and take the guys socks, in order to get them to chase her and play.
Tara was always up for an adventure. She lived for hikes and swims with her favourite people.
Whenever she would visit the vet for her annual checkup or whatever, she would dutifully walk right over to the scale and sit down on it like a "Weight Watcher" who had had a bad week.
Looking back on some older cache logs, I realize how many times she was with me. Always happy to enter a forest with me to explore, appreciate and find what was there. She was with me when I placed most of my caches. She would sniff around the area while I hunted caches and sit patiently as I would climb trees for those tall ones. The tail wagging as she would trot in front of me always made me smile. No matter what I was dealing with I always appreciated her calming presence.
She had a heart attack a few months ago and couldn't be as active since. Cats were the only things left worth chasing and it took her a bit to recover after each encounter. Arthritis in her hips had slowed her down as well.
I miss her greeting me every time I come home. No matter how we felt, what was on our minds, how tired, sad or sweaty when we arrived home, she was happy to see us. The fireplace won't seem the same without her snuggled up close by and our home seems empty.
She passed peacefully in her backyard, surrounded by the love of her three favourite humans. She enjoyed treats including her favourite butter tarts throughout her final days.
She's left pawprints on our hearts and has taken a piece of mine with her when she left. She is missed, appreciated and loved.
“How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.”
― A.A. Milne, The Complete Tales of Winnie-the-Pooh
This cache contains dog themed swag. If you would like to discover Tara's trackable that she wore, please contact me. The cache is placed in a location that she visited with me many times.