Goodbye, Esmé. You were the goodwill ambassador of the farm. I found Esmé at the Dubuque Animal Shelter and named her after a character in a short story by J.D. Salinger. Esmé was a clown, always having fun, and exceedingly happy. She loved swimming, digging, chasing, and biking.
She welcomed every new arrival. It didn’t matter if it had two legs or four Esmé welcomed everyone.
I heard the dogs bark and knew someone was coming up the lane. Cookie ran into the house and yelled, “call the vet, Esme’s laying in the driveway bleeding!”
As soon as I saw her I knew she was gone, she was so still. So small. So lifeless. Scooping her up I held her close and whispered goodbye. I kissed her head as tears trickled onto her fur. Looking up I saw the face of our friendly delivery driver, her tears fell, too.
I assured her it wasn’t her fault. Esmé must have gotten caught by the tire as she turned into the drive.
When our boys lost their first dog, Squeaky my sister gave us a book, Dog Heaven by Cynthia Rylant. The inscription reads, “Given in memory of Squeaky. January 1999.” We’ve added the names of other beloved pets. With deepest regrets I’ve added Esmé to that list.
Sorry for your loss, but also glad for the joy you shared with this little creature and I am sure she was grateful for the love you showed her.
I enjoy your blog, and as another person in ag I think we need to appreciate that we are privileged to have that kind of close relationship with the animals we take responsibility for. It is an honor and responsibility that I think is missing in so much of the "modern Agriculture" systems.
Just wanted to say; Good for you for making good animal husbandry a hallmark of your operation.
Gina D. Osburn
guttenberg Ia