Yesterday, I did indeed clean the patio of it’s dirt and winter grime. The old rabbit hutch which had doubled as a wood store was dismantled and added to the field bonfire and as I was returning to the cottage, I spied a squared off stone peeping from behind a large tussock of grass.
It was a headstone of the only dog of mine that was buried on the field.
It was Maddie’s headstone.
I sat and remembered her for a little while
My eyes closed and my face turned to the sun
Maddie was a Scottish Terrier.
She was my second dog, and was grumpy, taciturn and aloof.
A mirror image of Finlay, my welsh terrier who loved the entire World with an open heart.
Maddie loved her masters with all of her heart but showed her affection with all the distance of a 1970 s parent.She would lie next to you, rather than on you and would arrroooo at you rather than lick your face but like a maiden aunt who was dressed for mourning, she was fierce and proud and only had eyes for her nephews who she watched with careful eyes of shiny obsidian.
Maddie chasing Meg and Finlay
Maddie was never showy
Never demanding
And never overly demonstrative
She enjoyed her quiet life following the others and following you
And after years of not thinking about her, I remembered her quirks and ill temper and loyalty until my eyes stung just a little.
On impulse I lifted her headstone out of the ground and cleaned away the mud and the dirt.
I placed it against the wall on the patio and will soften it’s look with potted primulas and violas
I thought it would be nice, for passing walkers to read her name out loud when they saw the headstone
And wonder who Maddie was as they did so.
from Going Gently https://ift.tt/2Q3ceeT
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