Fantasia's Being In Da Gold "Chia Pet"

January 27, 1997 - August 28, 2009

Yesterday we lost our Chia Pet. She was born Fantasia's Being in Da
Gold, but called Chia due to her non-Aussie like soft flowing coat.

Chia came to us as a two year old. She was going to be one of our
show dogs. She was a lovely powder blue, moderate female with a
spectacular personality. Two weeks after arriving at the ranch she
tore her CCL and it ended her chance of ever showing. I can remember
taking her to work with me for 6 months. She was not allowed to walk
unless on a leash. We had to get that leg to heal as well as it
could. It seems like she tore some other ligaments too, so her leg
always had a slight limp.

Chia woke us every morning of her life with a happy bark. She wanted
us to get up and share the day with her. She never had a bad day in
her young life. When she came closer to passing she didn't hurt, but
just slowed down and she made me her personal touching post. For the
last 6 months of her life she followed me with her eyes, her body and
she would lay down as close to me as possible, sometimes laying her
head on my foot. She was a gentle lady with a very velcro attitude.
She was closer to her humans than she was any other dog in the herd.

Today everyone seems a little off. I know the others know what has
happened and miss her, but not nearly as much as Terry and I miss her.
The tears have flown heavily for a few days and I seem to have lost
energy. Today is a day to have all of the others just climb into my
lap so I can love them, feel the warmth of their bodies and the
scratchy lick of their tongues.

We are so lucky that our friend and vet lives across the street and
will just come by when we need to pass a dog to the bridge. He is
kind and loving of the dogs and has known all our dogs for a long
time.

It has been hard growing up with so very many Aussies. We placed Chia
close to her mother in our little dog corner of the ranch. She shares
the place with 9 other dogs that have passed on this ranch. The very
hard part is that I have three other dogs that are either 12, or will
turn 12 in the next few months. I worry so much about each and every
one, knowing that 12 seems to be that age that they choose to pass. I
have had two that have reached 15, but most make it to 12 and tire
from living such an active life.

I too am so tired, tired of growing old, tired of knowing I will
continue to loose my precious friends. We now have 14 and although
that seems like too many to so many others, they share my every move.
They wake me every morning, follow in my footsteps every day and
surround me as I sit and watch TV, then retire to the bedroom to
either sleep on the bed, under it or around it. They are my life and
my friends. They ask nothing but love and to be fed on their
schedule.

Chia had a special last week. Plenty of time spent with her just
talking and petting her, special food so she could eat, extra snacks
and cookies she normally didn't get. She passed with so much love in
her that I feel such an emptiness in my heart right now. There is a
part of my heart that will always be Chia's. She will never really
leave me.

She left us with her children still being with us. She provided us
with 2 litters and from the litters we still have her son Frankie. He
looks so much like his mother with a soft powder blue coat. Her eyes
were a soft loving brown and his are a piercing bright blue. Every
time I have Frankie in my lap I have a piece of his mother too. Just
a small piece to be remembered by.

This is for our Chia Pet. Born January 27, 1997 and passed to the
Rainbow Bridge on August 29, 2009. She will be missed each and every
day for the rest of my life until I too pass to collect all of my
friends.