Kirby. Cubby. The Cubs. The Kirbster. Big Bidness. Big Guy. Big Twubbles. My Boy.

When the time had come for his very last car ride, he let me pick him up and carry him out to the car without even the slightest whimper (those with Bassetts know this isn't normal) and he walked casually into the veterinarian's office, even waiting patiently for me to hold the door for him. While we waited for a room, I silently wished he would become completely incapacitated or start barking at the other dogs, showing some life. Instead, he sat calmly between Amy's legs, occasionally looking at us with the eyes that won us over a little over 3 years ago.

A million thoughts raced through my head, memories of the good times we had and my thoughts on death and what happens in the end. Our only goal was to end his pain which he was clearly in. While he was walking on his own, he hadn't had a bite to eat or even a sip of water (Kirby had a serious drinking problem) and he hadn't just been himself in weeks. I spent the majority of this week lying on the floor with him (still doing my conference calls at work) and he had finally let me look into his eyes for long periods of time. I saw sweetness and pain, pain he didn't deserve.

Amy and I stayed with him while Dr. Sunderman injected a powerful sedative followed by an overdose of a narcotic. He calmly fell asleep on his side next to Amy and I on the floor. His heart stopped about 30 seconds after the narcotic was administered. No movement whatsoever. And then he was gone.

We would have done anything to make him better- any amount of money, any amount of time. He was our child. His quality of life was the most important thing however and Amy and I could not fathom dozens of trips to the vet, surgeries, medicines and immobility. The cancer was too aggressive and we were out of time. He deserved better. We rescued him from an abusive family and someone who abandoned him. Though maybe he rescued us. He gave us better days. He deserved to be free of this pain. And now he is.

Thank you so much for finding us, big guy.

Wherever it is we we pass from this physical life, I hope to see this again

In this video, he's on 3 different kinds of pain medicationss (he couldn't even walk the previous two days) but it's nice to see him be able to go outside on his own.

(it's pretty long and there's no sound but pretty cool).

A higher definition .avi file HERE

Pictures to follow shortly.

Me, Amy, Donna and Hugh at Cave of The Winds

About two weeks ago, Amy's parents Hugh and Donna drove down from Seattle to spend some more time with us now that Hugh has finally retired.  They helped us move in almost 18 months ago but didn't get to spend that much time here and the time they were here, it was all unpacking.  We also spent a couple of weeks with them back in Seattle in June but it was pretty hectic. 

Hugh did a tremendous amount of yard work on his own, stuff that would have taken me weeks to do by myself.  He fixed our warped deck, made repairs to the kitchen cabinets and innumerable other improvements without us even asking.

And though I always kid her otherwise, Donna made some great food (save for the stuff with green peppers in it!) almost every night.  And even though they brought their Bassett Hound Lilly, Sally and Kirby enjoyed laying on granny's lap at every opportunity.

While here, we (finally) visited Cave of the Winds, Mesa Verde National Park and the Four Corners National Monument.  Amy started back teaching full time during their second week and we spent some time getting her classroom ready for the new school year.  We had a great time.

I hate goodbyes and wish we lived closer to them but it's weird how moving away can sometimes bring families closer together.

Though we'll see them again in Seattle around Christmas, I'm still sad to see them go.  Thanks guys!

Some good memories (click for a larger version):

Donna Sternly Quizzes the NPS Park Ranger (My Fave!)

Hugh and Donna at Mesa Verde National Park

Hugh, Amy and Donna

Spanish explorers seeking a route from Santa Fe to California in the 1760s and 1770s were the first Europeans to reach the Mesa Verde region, which they named after its high, tree-covered plateaus. However, they never got close enough to see the ancient stone villages, which would remain a secret for another century. Occasional trappers and prospectors visited, with one prospector, John Moss, making his observations known in 1873. The following year he led eminent photographer William Henry Jackson through Mancos Canyon, at the base of Mesa Verde. There Jackson both photographed and publicized a typical stone cliff dwelling. In 1875 geologist William H. Holmes retraced Jackson's route. Reports by both Jackson and Holmes were included in the 1876 report of the Hayden Survey, one of the four federally financed efforts to explore the American West. These and other publications led to proposals to systematically study Southwestern archaeological sites. They did not lead to action for some years.

As concern grew over the archaeological well being of Mesa Verde's ruins, and those in other nearby sites, the area was established as a national park on June 29, 1906. As with all historical area run by the National Park Service, the park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966. It was designated a World Heritage Site on September 6, 1978. The park was named with the Spanish for green table because of its forests of juniper and piñon trees.

The park is huge, covering 81.4 square miles over 4,000 known archeological sites, including 600 cliff dwellings that date from 510 AD to 1350 AD.  The weather was cool with dark clouds hanging over us but we decided to just do the famous Cliff Palace tour which is believed to be the largest cliff dwelling in North America.  Though the steep steps and vertical ladder climbs were tough on Donna's knees, it was an extremely enjoyable trip and I highly recommend it if you're in the Durango, CO area. 

On the way down from the mesa, we hit an epic rainstorm and it made the drive a little tricky with visibility about 20 feet.  The GPS came in pretty handy as it helped us know when the turns were coming.  You can see more pictures in my Flickr photoset.

In the span of 30 seconds, I stood in four states: New Mexico, Colorado, Utah and Arizona.  Amy, Hugh and Donna took a labor day trip down to Southwestern Colorado to check out the Four Corners National Monument, Mesa Verde National Park and the Canyon of the Ancients National Monument.  Though I've traveled extensively in the Western US, I'd never been to these three notable attractions and oddly, I was looking most forward to the point at which the four aforementioned states intersect.  This was Amy's first time being in New Mexico and Arizona.

We got there around 7 pm, with perfect lighting conditions and a comfortable temperature.  I was a little miffed that they charged $3 per person to see the monument but it was still pretty cool.

We're staying tonight and tomorrow night in Cortez, Colorado.  We'll be hitting the Mesa Verde tomorrow and Canyon of the Ancients on Monday before we head back to Colorado Springs.  If you're interested, follow me on Twitter.

While daddy is slaving away at work, mommy and the kids are having a rough day of lounging. It's clear who they love the most. Due to contractual disagreements and a feud with Gracie, Ellie was not able to participate in this group photo.

Dad and Nancy flew in from Ohio to visit with us for two days and we drove up to the summit of Pike's Peak immediately to avoid the storms that had been forecasted for tomorrow. The above video was shot while looking east.

The Flickr Gallery can be seen HERE.