I'm looking for 2 dogs. They are named Missy, short for Mistisa and Blacky, short for Black one. They have been gone for over a month now. They have never been away from me for this long. I remember them like it was yesterday.
I first saw Missy at the Glendale Super Centre with my brother and sister, Chris and Sarah. She was a cute tan dog with big black eyes and a bubbly personality. She was trying to get out of her cage and excitedly watched as we approached her. We played a while with her, I wanted her straight away. Leigh and i were renting an apartment in Newcastle at the time and i knew we couldn't keep her in there, especially because she was a large breed - half Alaskan Malamute/German Shephard. Sarah and Chris said she can stay with them at my parents house... they had a safe and big yard.
When i went home to our apartment, i talked to Leigh about this dog and i begged him to get her. He had never had a dog before and rightly so said we don't have a secure place for a dog. The next day i got her with Sarah and Chris and then took her to the apartment. Leigh suggested we name her Mistisa. That night she fell fast asleep and slept on my neck.
We kept her in the apartment and tried to train her to stay in her cage we made next to our bed. She would cry and whine and squeeze in between the milk crates that were holding our bed together. She would poke her head up and try with all of her might to get up on the bed with us. It wasn't long until we realised We couldn't go anywhere without her, She was showing signs of seperation axiety. Having her in the apartment had obviously had a negative effect on her. Nevertheless, she was such a beautiful dog and we had fallen in love with her very quickly. I decided we should move to the Blue Mountains, so that we could rent a place with a decent yard, and i could study in Sydney. We found a little cottage in fifth avenue.
Moving to the mountains was a great move. I started studying at Nepean Arts & Design Centre and Leigh worked with his business and also found work at the TAFE. We managed to get by quite well, well sort of. We realised how hard it was to actually keep Missy in. Leigh went to great lengths to keep Mistisa in the yard and built a wire fence around the backyard. However, She would just bite, jump and dig her way out of her enclosure. She hated being left alone. This was a huge stress on us, as we lives by the national park and the pound fees were expensive! I came up with getting a second dog to keep her company... and i had always wanted an Alaskan Malamute. I insisted it was a great idea and off we drove with Missy in the back to South Sydney to look at some Mallys advertised in the paper.
When we got there there were 2 malamutes left, a black and white one and a grey and white one... both females. The black one was quite small and scrawny and never left the kitchen. She would patiently sit in the middle of the kitchen looking up at the food. The grey one was very handsome and much bigger, she was lying on the lounge. We introduced Missy to the grey one, but she growled at her. We intoduced her to the black one, who licked Missy and had a very easy going temperment. We drove a while and thought about it. Leigh said... i like the black one. We went back to get her and she howled a bit on the way home, but apart from that, she was a perfect puppy.
Missy would tackle her with her every movement. She would attack Blacky while eating, weeing and sleeping. I was devestated and thought we had to get rid of her. Worst of all, missy would still escape, and take blacky with her while we were at work. It was at this time our next door neighbour was telling me about her house that she needed to find tenants for. We were quite friendly with our neighbour, and thought we should have a look. The rent wasn't much more than what we were already paying, and she told us it had a very secure fenced yard. We had a look and it was absolutely perfect! Large decks around the whole thing, four bedrooms with two bathrooms, two living rooms and a massive kitchen. It was there our loving memories were made and it was there where everything felt just right.
The dogs grew up and grew their own personalities. They were the best of friends and were always together. We took them everywhere we possibly could, it was like a family. Blacky would follow Missy everywhere, she would never leave her side and Missy just loved being the lead dog. We took them camping with us, biking with us, rockclimbing with us, waterskiing with us, on the canoe with us and even later, on a bus and even on the plane with us. It was just us, the four of us. It felt so natural and no matter how much of a headache things were, it would just seem worth while with them around.
Mistisa was a dominant dog but very loving dog. She would always be right there, right in front of you, alert, ready, and always up for it. She was extreemly smart, i felt as though she knew every word i said. She would jump on the bed and lie right by your side and give big licks. She would look up at me with her big black eyes and just be happy being with me. She used to love chewing up balls and playing piggy in the middle in which she always got the ball. She would lie on the decks of first avenue and soak up the sun all day long. She would sit in the drivers seat of leighs car and waitthere all day long. There was no middle with missy, she was all or nothing... but she was mostly all.
Blacky was a soft natured dog. She was quite and didn't mind being in the distance of missy.She was just happy being apart of it all. She would sit in the kitchen and wait for an off cut. She would roll on her back and love scratches on her belly. She would howl us goodmorning when we woke up, and howl and join leigh and i when we hugged, with her giant gentle paws. She would just love following missy everywhere, and even gave her the ball when playing piggy in the middle. She would love the water and follow leigh out into the deep blue sea. She was a very happy dog with a big heart and loving eyes.
I remember touching their fur. Stroking their backs and feeling their warmth. I remember holding blacky's soft big paws and kissing missy on her nose. I only wish i could do this again and i only wish that these memories never leave me. It has been a month now that they have gone. Put down becuase of killing many sheep. It had been their final straw, i only wish i fought for them but something inside me knew it had to happen.I know that slowly their memories will weaken as it has already. I stop and think about them and it starts to feel surreal now. Just like a dream. But as i watched them die, just as they lived, i know that something inside me died with them. They were me. They were Leigh. And they were us. One thing is for sure, even though they were very young, they had done as much as an old dog could've done. And they will have a safe place in my heart forever. Until the day we meet again... and i hope when that time comes it will be like we never parted.
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Its a busy time of year, much busier than last year. On top of heavy workloads and planning for the wedding (Sunshine :), we've been trying to get some finishing touches on renovations done before our big day. We have the kitchen in, complete with our $60 dishwasher! :) man, its great to have a dishwasher. Mike helped us put in a window last weekend, now its just a little bit of plastering and painting before our open plan living space is complete. We're hoping to put in some glass doors onto a deck before the wedding. Richard is over here 2 weeks prior and has a lot of experience building such things... time to see the bank? More updates on the renovations here.
September 30 is our big day! Sunshine's been wearing that rock on here beautiful hand for long enough, so its time she got a dress and me a best man and we fixed for good. We chose September for the possible skiing - seeing as we're asking our friends and relatives to come to NZ. We're still working out where in NZ, but its looking very much like it will be in Dunedin. I'm checking out Arthur's Pass and a place in McKenzie country, but Dunedin may turn out to be all around easier. The skiing bit will be in the week or two before September 30 (cover permitting) but at the very least we should try and get to the mountains to see the end of winter cover before seeing Sunshine in hers.
The pain of losing Mistisa and Black One was massive. We cried and cried for days. And still cry if we stop and think about it for too long. We found ourselves another companion though. Took the edge off the pain a little. I found it hard to connect with her initially, but named her Mira and now we are whole again. She is a beautiful dog with a perfect temperament for our life style, and is not even the slightest bit interested in sheep.
I've landed a F/T job in Dunedin, New Zealand. We're shipping off in 2 weeks and we're getting rid of everything to make a light load. Sunshine and I are very sad to leave, as the mountains has given us a beautiful life style. We had a very good house with a secure yard for the dogs and easy access to some wonderful walks. But its bye bye Blue Mountains, hello Dunedin.
Sunshine and I went canoeing for new year's eve. F@%k it was hot! Somewhere in the 40's I reckon!
After dinner, we watched a DVD on the laptop, had a few drinks and went to bed. Unfortunately we didn't get much sleep on account of some furious mozzie action, even with a net over us, and some extreme heat. Man! summer can be rotten. Bringing the fan was a very good idea!!
Another great Chrissy motor boating with the Connellys.
Sunshine and I have been looking at land up here in the mountains. Tired of paying off a landlord's investments, we want our own place, where we can build and renovate pretty much how we please, and be investing in our lives together while we're at it.
Not having water or sewage is a bit of a problem, but not as much as the likely council requirements such as bushfire threat management, that may require us the clear the trees beyond the property boundry! I have a fort like house design in mind if this requirement becomes a reality...
