'Mackenzie'... A Dog's life!

New Life After ...flooding, in Cedar Creek, Queensland

+Chronic-Pain is such a subjective matter - every time someone asks me about +my pain; ".. what is your pain out of 10?.." I have to think about it and try to turn it into something that can be measured? When I say that it's 8/10, my 8 out of 10 might be somebody else's 7 or 6 or even 9. What ever it is - something that is always immeasurable is a family pet's devotion - in return for nothing more than a look in the eye, a pat on the back, a rub under the chin and a bowl of fresh food and water... 


Our family dog, "Mackenzie"-(our 'rescue-dog' - a black Labrador), departed 'this-mortal-coil' in early March 2013. We had to have him 'euthanaised'. We were taking care of him the best that we could - with lots of love and tenderness. Although he was in a lot of pain associated with a +Tumor (on his lower-jaw) towards the end of his life, never-the-less he was always happy doing all sorts of stuff with his human family and then afterwards, he loved spending some well-earned rest-time on his beds (one each, on the back & front +verandah's of our house). The times when I took 'Mac' for a walk up +Cedar-Creek and along the water's edge, were some of his (and mine) favourite-moments. .. ! Actually, it was more like he took me for a walk instead.

'Old-Mac' - Mackenzie (we miss you mate)... R.I.P.

Our 'Old-Mac' really loved it when we would together go out for a wander in our little +wilderness. Especially, after the rain - during the time just when the air has that 'really awesome smell' of FRESH! (when it's full of +negatively charged-ion particles).



We had him for a beautiful13-years! So, 'he had us' should be the correct terminology here, remembering back to the day -(in Feb-2000)-when we met each other - at the local '+RSPCA' -(Royal-Society-[for the]-Prevention-[of]-Cruelty-[to]-Animals)-depot, in +Newcastle, +New-South-Wales, +Australia.



It was a beautiful afternoon and our family were ready to bring another member into our home. We were strolling through where the '+Rescue Dogs' were kept and we couldn't help but feel 'dread' for these condemned-animals (through no fault of their own) on a virtual 'death-row'. With their hopes up for the next family coming around the corner to 'take them home', they were all putting on a good-show for us!

Very True...

We stopped at the cage labelled - "Mackenzie", partly because he was sitting, staring at us with a look almost directing us to pay him some attention - also because he had the most beautiful +black-coat with his tail waving energetically, we started a conversation with... "Hello Mack", to which he chirped a bark in quick reply! He let us touch and pat him - and we fell in love! (But I'm not sure who was the first of us to fall in love with him!). We were allowed to meet him outside the kennel, in a yard alongside. The feelings of emotion were busting out of each of us - consequently we said a great big YES to our hearts! After the requisite 'shots' and +Vaccinations, we travelled home in the car back to +Warners Bay with a +one - in the back seat!


Life went on for us but, after a while I got an offer of a work-transfer to +Lismore (northern New South Wales, NSW), in 2001. It took a few weeks of negotiation, but eventually we settled into our new house in +Modanville - about 10-kilometres north of Lismore. 'Mac' was really loving the wide open spaces of our new home - set on 2-1/2-acres! We were on a sloping-block with some 'terraced' grounds, and a 'fantastic-view' down the local valley - and also from our kitchen 'bay-window'! We could sit for hours - watching the +weather roll-in with +awesome-lightning-shows from the big storms, and following the lights of the different vehicles driving along the roads at night. Anyway, we had just enough spaces in our property where Mac used to have trips down to the back-boundary and sometimes, be 'shocked' by the electric 'stun' fence - although it didn't hurt him at all, he was certainly trying to test his boundaries! Many great memories from those days with our puppy...