It was a sad morning when Carole rang me up with the terrible news that her dog Nell had died. But rather than dwelling on the sadness, I think it only appropriate to pay tribute to her, water-dog extraordinaire!
Carole and Nell were an inseparable pair, well-known in every town they lived in. Indeed, it was on a walk with Nell that I bumped into Carole and had the chance to chat to her properly for the first time (both of us had the tendency to disappear off home sharpish after our lectures, to do exactly the same thing as it would turn out...and thus our friendship was sealed ;o). So I must thank Nell for taking Carole outside and making her bump into me! I must thank her too for alerting Carole whenever I would come whistling at her window. She took it too far, however, when she would bark like a maniac whenever I whistled on the phone to Carole, but it's the thought that counted, thanks Nellew.
The picture above best describes Nell and is how I like to remember her. Wet, stinky and eager to get into the water. I've never seen such a happy dog in the water - the way she could entertain herself for hours on end, swimming in circles, clapping the water so that she could snap at the splashes. She wasn't without her eccentricities, mind, and she always needed that stick or stone to be hurled into the water before she would stop barking excitedly and launch herself in. I never understood that... Me and Nell had some good swims together, though the party-pooping Carole would sometimes shout at me to get out for fear I'd tire Nell out! Ha! There was no tiring Nell once she was waterborne! The two of us would slump out of the water scowling at Carole for ruining our fun.
She was a happy dog with the best owner a dog could wish for. She didn't need any boats to cross the Styx. I'm sure she raced Caron, and I bet she won too. I reckon Nell is a seal now and happy as larry. Goodbye Nellew, it was a pleasure to have spent some time with you.
1 comment:
She was a lovely seal.
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