Losing Jupiter

My fur baby Jupiter is gone now. I have his ashes in a jar.

He has been getting older and forgetting where to go the bathroom...poor kitty.

He has been through so much with me - I have had him since around 1994 - he was fully grown when I adopted him. He loved yogurt, bugs, and chasing his tail in the bathtub. I loved it when he would get that crazy look in his eyes and shoot off up the stairs or into the other room. I loved listening to his claws in the carpet.

He would drool when I pet him and snuggle under the covers with me when we would go to sleep.

Having a pet is like falling in love - you know that someday it has to end but you enjoy every single moment so you will have the memories forever.

It's hard getting used to an empty house. Once a long time ago my boyfriend at the time told me that a few minutes before I would get home Jupiter would go sit by the front door and wait for me.

He was my king.

I love you forever Jupi.

-Dawn

Beach Fire

Well, since I love spending time at the ocean, here is a sunset picture of the beach I visit most often and a picture of a lovely beach fire we had there.
I was there this past weekend and had a great time at the Tillamook County Fair. We watched horse racing, some very interesting Pig 'n Ford races, and finally a demolition derby!

Why is destruction so appealing to humans? I loved the crunching and smashing of those brightly colored cars and craved more. I also now have a desire to go to a Monster Truck rally. I love machines and vehicles are one of my favorite kinds of machines. We saw a monster school bus on the drive home - next time I'll take a picture so you can enjoy it too.
After we got back to the beach condo at 10:00 pm, it was a mild evening and the stars were out. I went down to the beach to star gaze and my beautiful 10-year old niece joined me. We enjoyed the moment perfectly. I wrote a poem for her, to remember that special night:

For Madi

Wonder

Laying on the sand
under the starry night
we watch the shooting stars
and make wishes

we gently hold
the remains of the day
not wanting it to slip
into tomorrow

we count the satellites
and wonder what happens if they crash

singing the song to the gravedigger
dreaming of a long off last request

giggling, we watch the universe
in awe

it's you and me forever, angel
as we enjoy
this ecstatic moment of
silent belonging.

- © Dawn E. Shepherd
August 11, 2008