Dear Cabe,

      EZ died today. She went away peacefully with Dr. Goodroad's assistance at about 5 p.m.

      Chelsea was there with me.

      I'd taken EZ to the vet's office this morning so he could re-hydrate her and, against hope, maybe she would be able to open her mouth wide enough for me to feed her the medicine and, so she could drink. Through the day he made her life less hideous through intravenous fluid and pain medication. But, there was nothing to be done to relieve her symptoms and suffering.

      So, I found Chelsea at dance team practice and together we went to see EZ off. She was still EZ as we knew; she rose to greet us, though she hoisted herself in ghastly condition.

      We held her and cooed to her. I got in a final "goit girl" as the doctor injected life’s end into her vein. She relaxed her head down onto our hands. And then she was gone, and her wag and her grin were tiptoeing on the front of a motorboat on a river somewhere with her ears flipping festively in the wind.

      Ah, she's not hurting anymore and neither am I.

   Dad D.