A little over seven and a half years ago Sid ran away from home and arrived in Cocoa Mountain*. Located in a small village in the very north west of Scotland it didn't take our good friend (and world class chocolatier) long to find out whose dog he was and take him home, only to discover that Sid was living in an outdoor kennel and at ten years old was soon to be bound for the dogs home in Inverness two and half hours away.
Due to arrive on holiday a few days later, our fate was sealed before we even got there - lo and behold we came home with a dog! And what a fabulous little dog he was (apart from when he met a dog he didn't like at which point he was rather feisty and dare I say a little on the vicious side!).
He was however the absolute epitome of taking things in his stride, nothing phased him. For those of you unfamiliar with what the north west of Scotland looks like, it looks like this...
Yet we brought Sid 500 miles south to the post industrial delight that is our home and he didn't bat an eyelid, he just found things to enjoy that he hadn't before: woods, autumn leaves, chasing squirrels and catching hedgehogs. He was our go everywhere dog, and when we went on the train to the South East of England we took him with us, when that involved crossing London on the Underground he did that too. When we needed to sneak him into our friends holiday apartment he was happily popped inside a bag and carried in incognito.
Visiting the vets aside, nothing seemed to take him out of his comfort zone, he just got on with it and seemed to take delight in discovering what was to be found in every new situation, and if I am to take anything forward from this then I hope it's the courage to emulate that attitude a little more often.
It's been an odd first day without him, there is no doubt in our minds that his time was up and we are all taking comfort from the fact that he is at peace, but for a small dog he has left an awfully big hole in our house.
Thankfully there is enough love, and a rather confused big dog, to fill that space, just might take us a while....
M - 406
Liverpool Half - 75
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