Jake

Jake passed away earlier this evening, Tuesday, August 17th, 2010 around 10pm. He had been sick for about a week. Saturday he spent about an a half hour outside in the sun, walking around the yard, but Sunday he stopped eating, and Monday he stopped drinking. Tuesday he didn't even want an ice cube I offered him.



He was curled up under my desk and I had been been stroking his leg with my toes before I went to the kitchen to make a late dinner. It was a later dinner since I had napped this afternoon having been up till four this morning, waiting for a thunderstorm to pass as I didn't want Jake, who had always been scared of them, to be alone as it passed. He normally would pace the house, but in he was too weak to move much in the last couple days. He didn't seem in pain or distress, just sullen and I let nature take it's course rather then deal with the stress of a trip to the vets. When I returned from the kitchen with dinner, he had passed on.



Jake was a year and a half old when he came to me on September 9th, 1999 -- he had been taken from his original owners for neglect. They had left him tied on their porch for a week during the summer when they went on vacation.



Jake and Oscar that first night.





Some more from '99:











(Most of these photos aren't in any sort of chronological order...)







So one night I hear a commotion in the living room, and get out of bed to find this sad sack with his head stuck in a bag:







He was known for his impressive efforts at mischief sometimes...

































These last three are from this year. Settling down in his old age, he accompanied me once or twice a week to the garden. Although he still occassionally like to take off and get muddy running through the swamp and woods.