Adios Mi Amigo

When Don and I started traveling together in September 2007, he made it clear that he and Shadow came together as a package. Although I had just become pet-free, having found my two Siamese cats a new home because they weren’t handling the travel life well (they were my late husband’s and my cats and were used to a big house), I warmed up to Shadow’s winning personality and he took to me immediately. In fact, our first day on the road, traveling in 2 RVs, was a day to remember.

We departed from Goshen, Indiana, after the Escapade ended and headed south to visit friends. It was a warm autumn day. At lunchtime, we stopped and I fixed us a bite to eat. Don and Shadow came to my motorhome where it was cool, as I had the a/c running on the generator. When it was time to hit the road again, Don said “Come on, Shadow.” Shadow just looked at him, and sat beside my right leg when I got in the driver’s seat. Don tried to pick him up, and Shadow growled and tried to bite him. I said it was okay for him to stay with me.

As we rolled down the road, Don picked up his CB mike and said, “Not only did you steal my heart, you stole my dog!” Shadow’s first human Mom had passed away when he was just over a year old, and he had been traveling with Dad for about 5 years. I guess he knew that he’d found his next Mom! He never again rode with Don in his pickup truck, whether he was pulling his 5th wheel or just going to the store. Shadow had adopted me.

But he never forgot who his Dad was, and always followed him around.

He made lots of friends.

Marilyn was one of his faves.

And Craig was his very Special Buddy.

He tolerated another Shadow, a girl, whom he met in Alaska.

“Shadowess,” as we called her, seemed to show up a lot, and was always happier to see Shadow than he was to see her.

He liked Shadow’s Mom a lot though, and got in her lap when Shadowess got in Shadow’s Dad’s lap!

I’ll show you!

He hated groomers, especially when they messed with his ears then put ribbons on him.

He loved rolling in grass, especially the patch that traveled with us.

He gladly shared it with special people.

But he hated it when someone else used it without his permission.

However, he didn’t hesitate to use someone else’s bed when the opportunity arose. His excuse was trying to recover from the infection that almost took him from us last summer.

It was really tough when he had to wear a “lampshade” on his head after so many vet visits and finally surgery in August 2012.

But he recovered and gave us another 10 months of happy companionship.

We loved you well, Shadow, and we’ll always remember the good times with you. Rest in peace.