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<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 3.2//EN"> <HTML> <HEAD> <META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html;CHARSET=iso-8859-1"> <META NAME="GENERATOR" Content="Symantec Visual Page Mac 1.1.1"> <TITLE>Later Years</TITLE> </HEAD> <BODY BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF"> <H1 ALIGN="CENTER">Sebastian in his Later Years</H1> <P>Sebastian blew out the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) of his left hind leg in his 8th year--chasing squirrels, of course. The vet assured us it was a celebrity injury, "the same one that sidelined Jerry Rice." The only cure was surgery, and expensive surgery at that. Of course the little dog got it, along with 5 months of rehab. He later tore the other as well, but not badly enough to require surgery. Between "sore" knees and his weight problem, Sebastian's big-time running days were over. Oh, he got lots of exercise, a mile-long walk every day he could manage it in the open space. But he'd sit down sometimes in the middle of things. He sat funny from that day on--with one knee held straight out, if he could, to "ease the stiff joint." Kinda funny, it was just like an old man. On the other hand, when he wanted to look pretty--in the foot went, and up the chest arched... There's nothing more regal looking than a mature Keeshond at "parade," with mane flowing and tail curled just so...</P> <CENTER> <P> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="5" CELLSPACING="4" WIDTH="700"> <TR> <TD WIDTH="40%"> <P ALIGN="CENTER"><A HREF="windydog2.1big.jpg"><IMG SRC="windydog2.1.jpg" WIDTH="211" HEIGHT="297" ALIGN="BOTTOM" BORDER="0"></A><BR clear = "left"> <FONT SIZE="2">Man, all I need is a scarf and a race car. <BR> Don't I look good in the wind? [2002]</FONT> </TD> <TD WIDTH="60%"> <P ALIGN="CENTER"><A HREF="caittydogbig.jpg"><IMG SRC="caittydog1.2.jpg" WIDTH="413" HEIGHT="284" ALIGN="BOTTOM" BORDER="0"></A><FONT SIZE="2"><BR clear = "left"> Caitlin and Sebastian. Each more beautiful than ever. [~2000]</FONT> </TD> </TR> </TABLE> </P> </CENTER> <P>Sebastian spent what were to become the last years of his life as the "senior member" of the family. He couldn't fool the kids, but often as not he buffaloed dear old Dad into carrying him up stairs, into cars and along for rides to most everywhere imaginable. Whether down to the store for milk or across the state for a business meeting, likely as not Sebastian rode along, smiling from ear to ear. I've spent much of the past year traveling to the Mojave desert on business, and Sebastian has spent more time among scrub and sand than ever (there's just <I>nothing</I> to chase!) His--and my--prodigious intake of water there was masking it turned out, his progressive undiagnosed case of diabetes. Sebastian never complained. Whatever we were doing, wherever and whatever desert we were investigating today--it was all just fine with him.</P> <CENTER> <P> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="5" CELLSPACING="4" WIDTH="700"> <TR> <TD WIDTH="60%" HEIGHT="313"> <P ALIGN="CENTER"><A HREF="basketdogbig.jpg"><IMG SRC="basketdog.jpg" WIDTH="288" HEIGHT="206" ALIGN="BOTTOM" BORDER="0"></A><BR clear = "left"> <FONT SIZE="2">Easter is my favorite holiday. All that candy! Well, except <BR> maybe for Christmas... Then there's Halloween.. [2002]</FONT> </TD> <TD WIDTH="40%" HEIGHT="313"> <P ALIGN="CENTER"><A HREF="patiobig.jpg"><IMG SRC="patio.jpg" WIDTH="211" HEIGHT="288" ALIGN="BOTTOM" BORDER="0"></A><FONT SIZE="2"><BR clear = "left"> OK, OK. Let's get out there and fill those baskets! [2002]</FONT> </TD> </TR> </TABLE> </P> </CENTER> <P>In the end, Sebastian contracted hemorrhagic pancreatitis, a virulent disease where his pancreas ran wild and his internal organs shut down, one by one. Finally our little dog, having used up the whole of his life string, quietly slipped off its end. Sebastian lies today on a grassy hill under a flowing oak tree, overlooking the wild space where he spent so many happy hours. Sitting here, I can watch the squirrels he loved to chase and hear the ducks he swam so often with.</P> <P>Sebastian taught us to love, and to laugh at life. He taught us that there is nothing so bad that being especially sorry cannot make right. I wish he were here beside me now, to remind me.</P> <P> <CENTER> <P> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="5" CELLSPACING="4" WIDTH="700"> <TR> <TD WIDTH="60%" HEIGHT="283"> <P ALIGN="CENTER"><A HREF="gavdivingboardbig.jpg"><IMG SRC="gavdivingboard.jpg" WIDTH="288" HEIGHT="201" ALIGN="BOTTOM" BORDER="0"></A><BR clear = "left"> Yep, I let my friends use the diving board, too. <BR> Just so long as they don't actually jump... [~2001] </TD> <TD WIDTH="40%" HEIGHT="283"> <P ALIGN="CENTER"><A HREF="windydog1big.jpg"><IMG SRC="windydog1.jpg" WIDTH="320" HEIGHT="240" ALIGN="BOTTOM" BORDER="0"></A><BR clear = "left"> I am lord of all that I survey. [2002] </TD> </TR> </TABLE> </P> <P> <TABLE BORDER="0" WIDTH="700"> <TR> <TD WIDTH="15%"><A HREF="index.html">Home</A></TD> <TD WIDTH="20%"><A HREF="baby.html">Baby Years</A></TD> <TD WIDTH="25%"><A HREF="teen.html">Teenagers of all species</A></TD> <TD WIDTH="20%"> <P ALIGN="CENTER"><A HREF="adult.html">Adult Life</A> </TD> <TD WIDTH="20%"><A HREF="later.html"><B>Later Years</B></A></TD> </TR> </TABLE> </CENTER> </BODY> </HTML>