she was the sweetest dog ever.

we noticed that her kidneys were failing about a month ago, and had been trying to manage that as best as could be done, but her kidneys were pretty determined to fail.

she hadn't eaten in four days, and she spent yesterday mostly too weak to get off the sofa (or alternatively, throwing up things that just did not look good), so yesterday, my whole family came over and sat with her and me, and then when the juggler got home from work, we went to the emergency vet and let her go.

( picture of josie in 2003 )

she was super timid-- she took a little bit to warm up to you, but after she did, she'd be in your lap every time she saw you from then on. when i first got her she was timid and shy for a few weeks and more lying by people because she couldn't figure out what to do rather than because she looooooved them, but once she figured out that you were one of her people, she wanted in your lap or under your feet and hey what are you doing with that hand you're not scritching me you could be scritching my tummy. she was not shy about being excited about you. she was a jumper and a runner. when i came home she'd jump up high into the air and bark and leap and then she'd run off and grab a squeaky hedgehog and run around with it because she had a squeaky hedgehog and wasn't it supercool?

( josie in 2006, curled up on the bed )

she was a total cuddlebug. when i was living alone, she'd come sleep with me everynight; now that the juggler is here most nights, she'd been sleeping downstairs a lot of the time, but some time this summer, probably when she started getting sick, she started coming upstairs again to curl up next to me.

in the winters, she'd sleep under the covers for a while and then flail like an elephant trapped under a blanket to get out when she realized she was too warm and wanted out. it was sometimes ended by a thud once she'd worked her way to the side of the bed (and fell off).

( josie this past week, on the sofa )


this is josie last week, standing on the sofa. she was too skinny, and cold all the time, so i bought her a sweater. a nice olive green one to go with her beautiful soft orange and white hair and her soft brown eyes. she didn't mind the sweater. she minded halloween costumes like crazy, so i was expecting her to mind the sweater, but once i got her into it, she was all fine. i think she knew it made her warmer. i didn't spend too much time on the computer when i was at home this week because i wanted to be on the couch where i could cuddle with her.

we spent all afternoon saturday on the couch cuddling, mostly with her under a fleece blanket that i'd gotten from my grandma, and then the juggler got home from work, and we talked and he cuddled josiejo, and then we wrapped her up in that blanket and carried her out to the car and drove up the street to the vet.

she used to, when she was falling asleep, stick her tongue out. she'd usually do this when she was having a really really good dream about chasing moose.

she stuck her tongue out when the drugs hit her. it made my sister and i laugh while we were crying.

i keep looking under the table next to the chair where i'm sitting, which is where she would nap while i was sitting here. she's not there.

she was such a good dog.