Late last week we received an email to let us know that King was having a retirement party on Sunday July 3rd at the Agricultural Museum. King is a Clydesdale, not just any Clydesdale but the reason Sid goes to the farm. For some unknown reason, Sid has a deep attachment to King. We have been going to see him since she was about 8 months old and when she first began talking she would say "Ing!, Ing!" and reach for him. When she was two, we had to go to the farm once a week for almost a year to visit King because he was going to miss seeing her. "King miss me!". The past few years we have visited fewer times but when she would see him she would talk with him and let him know all the interesting things she was doing. She would always tell him he was her best friend and she loved him so much. Even in the dead of winter we would trudge up the long road to the barns because she needed to see King.
When I got the email that after 11 years King was moving to a local farm to retire, my heart sank. Why King? Of all the animals at the farm why is he the one going? So with a deep breath I told Sid the news and it was received as well as I expected. Heart felt sobs that led to anger and then sadness. "I suspect I will NEVER see King again!!! He's my best friend. I need King! He's the only reason I go to the farm! I LOVE King!!!!"
Saying Goodbye
It was truly heartbreaking to see her raw emotion and realization that her buddy wasn't going to be there after Sunday. We wept together and planned our final visit to see King. Sid made him a picture and knew he would have a big going away card we could sign when we got there.
Goodbye King, we love you and will miss you! Enjoy your retirement, you have brightened the lives of so many kids!
And now for a Hello!
Meet Lili ~ Now Lilly ;) She is a foster who came to us yesterday from Montreal. 18 months of pure energy. A lovely dog from a family with 4 kids. She is bringing quite the spark to our home.
She is the one on the right. She moves to much for a good picture right now! Sid was having so much fun playing in the crate. The three girls couldn't quite figure out what was going on :) More to come soon! Right now Sid is learning how to do some dog training while we teach Lilly a recall. She doesn't hear her name at all!
She is the one on the right. She moves to much for a good picture right now! Sid was having so much fun playing in the crate. The three girls couldn't quite figure out what was going on :) More to come soon! Right now Sid is learning how to do some dog training while we teach Lilly a recall. She doesn't hear her name at all!
And lastly at Karate last night, Sid was told she was going to get to fight. "What?" After a month of kicking and training she started learning her first Kata last night when Sigung came over and put a helmet on her head and HUGE gloves on her hands. The rest of the kids in the club grabbed their gear and suited up. Everyone was giddy, this is there favourite thing to do. I am not sure if Sid ever pictured this as a part of her Karate but afterwards she was pumped and really excited about doing it again. She can now see how all the training comes into play. We will have to get her some equipment that fits, those huge gloves on her make her look like Popeye! Look at that spin kick though! Sigung has been using her to demo it to the class and now she can see why she has learnt it!
