The Amazing Maizie 14 years, PEOTS 7 years

      On this 7-year anniversary of Partial Ellipsis of the Sun and 14th-year anniversary of Maizie’s birth (in October), I am writing about Maizie, canine extraordinaire.

     Maizie May was my beloved, fun, and happy companion for 12.5 years. I went to the Denver Dumb Friends League with my friend, Mike, on April 2, 2008. "Pucker" was released from the lost animals hold for exactly 1 minute when we found each other. I ran down the hall to the Adoption Desk saying "She's the one! She's the one!" And so the newly-named Maizie came home the next day to live with my daughter, Zoë, and me. Here she is on that day.

      This girl loved a good road trip. We took more than a dozen  trips to the Great Sand Dunes, one of her two favorite places. Kunming Park was the other favorite. 

      We trekked to Arches National Park, the Paint Mines in Calhoun, to Crystal Bridges Art Museum in Arkansas, to Minnesota for Zoe’s drop-off and graduation from college. We took so many trips to Silver Plume, Palisade, and all over the Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming mountains.

          She liked to rest on my left knee as I drove, soaking up the sunshine and scanning the scenery for elk, deer, and other furry friends. She slept on my left shoulder at night.

            Maizie died in my arms September 21, 2020 at 4:40 p.m. She was bathed in heliotrope-magenta light as she crossed over the Rainbow Bridge. I held her body for over an hour and felt her comforting me.

      During the ten months she fought lymphoma with chemotherapy and her oncologist’s help, we had some awesome adventures, including a trip to San Luis Park and the Great Sand Dunes in April, just before they closed the gates:

https://youtu.be/bhnOENk2QDk

Maizie was spunky, calm, sweet, and adventurous and up for new treks up until the day she died. The growths on her neck returned and even large doses of lomustine could not stop them. She was still so Maizie right up to the end when breathing was difficult. 

           I miss her every minute and talk to her all the time. She brought me such joy. Grief is so non-linear. I find sad tears, happy smiles, weird firsts (moving her water bowls) commingle. 

      I saw her in the full moon Thursday night. She was smiling broadly, telling me she is always in my heart and how much she loved our adventures. 

       

     Here’s to Maizie, the most faithful, loving, sweet dog ever.

     Thanks for coming on this mountain and park ride with me.

Happy trails, Maizie,

Steph