oscar and libby _

We lived in Charlie's house for over 30 years and many of our beloved pets are buried in that yard.  Once upon a time my daddy rented Virginia's house to some folks that were uh...kind of not right.  They lived down the road for seven years and were frankly, quite strange.  I would hear head banging music blaring even inside our house.  Like shaking the windows.  The family would occasionally walk by pushing mom in a wheelchair to God knows where.  One time mama took off walking to somewhere after surgery and they thought she was at my house.  She had indeed come to my house a few times before just to get away from the madness down there.  This particular day they brought her some meds and a drink and I don't know what, and left it all on my porch swing. There was never a dull moment with the law and whatnot.  And I did not feel safe.  At all.

Oscar was being abused down there and came up to my house for rescue with a huge chunk out of his back.  We doctored it and he healed, but they did it again.  That was when I called the shelter to report abuse.  Dude said "She can have him.  I can't even afford to feed my family."  And so, he was adopted forever by me and LP.  A small black and white terrier mix with scars came to us for refuge.  And he found it.  

Many years later when the crazy people were gone and I had good neighbors Oscar met their dog Libby.  Oscar loved nothing more than trotting down the lane to visit his girlfriend from outside.  Libby would jump up by the window just to have Oscar time, though remotely.  They often played outside together with the ducks and the geese and the giant bunny.  Never a dull moment there, either.  The couple has one daughter who was 7 at the time and I spent plenty of time in their garden with all the kids.  We all became friends and still are to this day.  

Oscar died last year in my arms with the help of a caring vet who does housecalls.  I sobbed on the bathroom floor as he gave him the shot that ended his pain.  He gently carried him out to his truck and took him to the office for cremation.  I could not bear to bury another one.  Libby died yesterday at home with her humans.which is the way they wanted it.  Sammy D passed away one night in the other room to spare me from the event.  They know you like a book.  Gerald buried him for me, in the cold and rain, because I was about one month post-op from the huge belly surgery.  That's what friends do, ya' know?

Of course there was Faith who fell dead off the futon one night from pyometra.  And Butterbean who got paralyzed because Faith pushed her bitty rat terrier ass off the front steps.  That was where I found a yard guy spraying the puppies in the flower bed.  I could go on and on but I won't.  Because this is a love story about Oscar and Libby.  As it should be ^j^