I edited my profile with Thomas' Myspace Editor V4.4We had to say goodbye to our longtime friend and companion, Harley Durkin, last Thursday. I apologize if this page is your way of hearing the news. Sometimes news travels fast, and sometimes it just doesn’t. Sometimes it’s hard to share news – especially news like this.
For those of you who knew Harley, you knew he was no ordinary dog. He stood up in the face of adversity, played like a two year old even though he was 105, made his way into the center of any gathering, sang in a band (or just with Pat), babysat young children (with adult supervision, of course) and ate anything that might possibly pass for digestible (and some stuff that wasn’t).
He was my protector. He barked at squirrels and mailmen when we were home alone. He watched the wind when we were out in the yard together. He even chased a black bear and fought a pit bull in an effort to keep me safe. For those of you who couldn’t imagine Harley hurting a fly (and I had a hard time believing it most times myself), you didn’t know the Harley I knew when it was just him and me.
We slept in together, took long walks (and runs!) together, and sat on the deck during nice days when he hurt too much to walk very far.
He was our best friend.
The hole he’s left is massive. Pat and I still haven’t vacuumed because his hair is everywhere. There’s still food in his bowl and we still yell at the cats for eating it. His footprints are still everywhere (no, the snow hasn’t all melted here yet, and I’m nostalgic about it) and we’re dreading the prospect of having to clean up the yard come spring. Okay, that’s Pat’s job, which is probably the reason I haven’t yet convinced him to call in landscapers.
We need to move on, but we need to remember (as if we could forget). This page is my way of not letting go. It’s a call to all of you… to remember… to share your stories… and pictures. Maybe it can be a way to motivate me to finally vacuum the floor again.
But I beg of you - all of you – if you’ve known Harley longer than I have, or even if you’ve only met him once – to share a memory or two (or three) – if you have a picture post it here. I’ve deleted years worth of myspace memories to make space for Harley. Use it. Let it be your own way of saying goodbye… of reminding him how much he was (and still is) loved.
Consider it a last scratch behind those velvet ears of his.
