{ My Boy Buddy }

"And then there were two."

"Sorry?"

"Two dogs."

"Did you find someone to take Bud?"

"Yeah. He's gone."

And just like that my boy Buddy was gone. Without me saying good-bye. Without one more handshake or a high five walking past the back of the ute. Just gone. 

Buddy came to us when we first moved to Yea, when we were younger and red-hot-raring to jump into our new life as 'grown ups'. We lived in a terrible, terrible house, with no heating which gave me frostbite (yes frostbite) on my toes, for awhile we had no running water so I would boil several kettles for a 'shower' in the backyard. We had an outside toilet and resident possums living in the old Aga stove. But we were ridiculously happy. What we needed was a dog though. A girl I worked with had such a dog. A dog which her husband was going to shoot if he did not find a home. And so we adopted this crazy, bounding, dopey Kelpie cross. 

As time went on we eventually adopted Lily also after Mr M's boss left her to stay with us for a few weeks and didn't seem to want her back. Then along came the wonder dog Pippa, with her good bloodlines, agility and skill with sheep. And of course Tess, my little 'house dog'. Then Roxy came to live with us as her family moved overseas and got settled. Our family was filling up.

A few weeks ago we decided that we could no longer give Buddy the love and attention he deserved. So we decided we would ask around to see if a loving home could be found for him. I was in agreement with this, but I never really thought it would happen, or if it did he would go to friends and I would still see him or know where he was. Mr M went to a working dog workshop with all three dogs yesterday. And he came home with only two. I knew he might find someone there to take him, but the actual reality of it was like being hit by a bus, which was so very, very surprising. I didn't think I cared that much for Mr Buddy, the bumbling jester of our motley crew. Just how much he was my favourtie of the working dogs hit home as I uncontrollably cried into Mr M's shoulder.

Buddy had a new home now. And it was all so very sudden.

Good-bye Mr Buddy, I hope you get the work that you deserve, the cuddles that Monty will miss giving you and you are allowed to chase birdies like you love to.