Looking for Your Stories on Dogs and Life After Death

That's right, I want to hear your stories about your pets and life after death. It could be a case of after-death visitation, reincarnation, anything that touches on pets and life after death.

I'll start you off with one from my life:

One of the great loves of my life was a Weimaraner named Mischka. She and Haint (yes the inspiration for Haint) were a pair. There were other Weims living with us at the time but Haint and Mishcka were inseparable.

Mischka's end came when she was about 13. She had apparently very painful cancer and in those days there was little to do to help dogs other than pain killers. I nursed as long as I could and finally I knew she was ready to go. So we loaded her into the car and took her to the vets. Unlike previous visits she actually seemed glad to be there. Her end was as peaceful as we could make it and I and the vet stayed with her until the last breath. Both he and I were sobbing through the whole time. Mischka, on the other hand, seemed relieved and let us know she was ready to be out of pain. I left her body there but not her soul.

Not too long after that I started hearing things like a dog barking right outside the door and no one was there. I would hear Mischka's distinctive scratch at the door and no one was there. But someone was there -- Mischka. And she started coming to me in dreams to let me know she was still with me.

That was some time ago and I have since moved away from that house. But sometimes I still hear her or feel her near me. She's not back yet in physical form but she's always near me in spirit.

Now its your turn. You don't have to tell me the whole story. In fact, I'd prefer you not because I will interview a certain number of folks in person or over the phone to pull more of the story out of you. If you have a story to share send me the gist of the story to me at Haint@sbcglobal.net and I'll get back to you.

What Will Life Be Like After Butterflies are Gone?

Butterflies are one of those kinds of creatures who define spring and summer for me. Its never spring as far as I'm concerned until I see at least one of those litle white butterflies that become so ubiguitous from May to September.

But I guess I had better find something else to mark the beginning of spring. According to this article on BrightSurf.com, California butterflies are having a hard go of it this year.

Cold, wet conditions early in the year mean that 2006 is shaping up as the
worst year for California’s butterflies in almost four decades, according to Art
Shapiro, professor of evolution and ecology at UC Davis.That’s a turnaround from
last spring, when millions of painted lady butterflies migrated through the
Central Valley. But other species have seen steep declines in recent years and
could disappear from the region altogether.“It has been the worst spring for
butterflies of my 35 in California,” Shapiro said. “There will probably be
long-term repercussions, especially for species already in serious decline.”

As I'm working on Haint 2 I have to keep this in mind.

Read the rest of the article.