Logan Elizabeth Massey: March 5, 2000 - October 31, 2007

Being that today is Dia de los Muertos, I found it quite appropriate to mention our dog.

To those who knew Logan, it was obvious she was a sickly dog; to those who didn't, even her blindness wasn't readily apparent. She was much too stubborn and proud to show her disadvantage.

We knew that we would lose her before she met normal life expectancy. There is just no way to prepare for it.

We took her to the vet two weeks ago where she was diagnosed with another ailment - kidney disease. We decided to treat it for a week before making any decision. We took her home last Saturday to see how she responded for a few days being off the IV.

Toward the end, her quality of life became the only factor. She stopped eating and drinking all together. Although she still loved to roam the back yard, she often became disoriented.

Late Tuesday night, we decided to put her to sleep. We stayed up with her for most of the night and slept in the living room to be close to her one last time. Wednesday morning, I called to make the necessary appointment and we took her to the vet one last time; when we arrived, all the receptionists fought to keep back tears as we brought her to the room.

It's an odd feeling holding a dog as it loses its life.

Even as she grew older and her chin showed a hint of grey, she was always our little puppy.

Our house is much quieter and my morning ritual has been altered. My clothes will no longer have the tell-tale signs of pet ownership and I no longer have to worry about sharing my dinner.

However, I do find a modicum of comfort knowing Logan has her vision and complete health restored to her. She's somewhere, happily playing with Zazu, Sasche, Ladybug, and the rest of the dogs that died way too young.

Protein?

Logan loves the month of June. Specifically, she loves the annual invasion of bugs.

Even though she's lost her vision, her instincts and reflexes are still quite amazing. When we first moved to the house, it was Logan's first back yard. She quickly learned the parameters of the fence and the location of the back door. She occasionally trots around the back and then slows down as she senses something in front of her.

Her favorite summer activity is to lay on the back porch and catch bugs - the crunchy kind. As they land on the patio, she'll gently gnaw and paw at them - I guess to make sure they're alive. She'll put the bug in her mouth, temporarily let it go, then quickly snatch it up again and eat it.

As Fall is quickly approaching, the June bugs are a rare sight. The one I saw last night was probably the first I've seen in a couple of weeks.

Well, Logan's second favorite activity is to lay under a blanket on the couch nestled up closely to Melissa.

Last night as I was cleaning up the porch, a bug flew onto the porch. I knew it would make my dog happy. I opened the door and excitedly yelled, "Logan, there's a bug out here for you!"

She jumped up from under the blanket, jumped off the couch, and ran outside as quickly as she could. Now, Logan has more nicknames than Sean Combs. My top two for her are "Pinball" and "Bonkers" for the following reason: when she gets overly excited and trots, she'll often hit the coffee table, the couch, and a few walls trying to navigate the living room.

Once I got her outside, I tapped near the bug so she could locate it and quickly eat it. Getting her back inside the house was a bigger problem, however.

She figured that if one showed up, there would be plenty more. I couldn't get her inside for another ten minutes. She seemed so disappointed.