Brookville Daily Post

2012-01-30T11:00:00.003-05:00

Benji Lincoln
© By Abraham Lincoln

Benji Lincoln had to be put to sleep yesterday, the 12th of October 1994. He has had a bad heart, which we knew about, and he had lost nearly all of his teeth. He could no longer hear and had some real problems in seeing. His heart caused him to have a cough for the past ear or two. It got worse on Tuesday, and he coughed nearly all day and all night. Becky, myself and mom (Patty) held him during the day and at night. He was having difficulty in breathing and on Wednesday we called the vet and made an appointment to have him put to sleep.

Mom took him over and went in with him to comfort him while the vet put him asleep. Then he came back after a few minutes and finished the task. Pat brought him back home and we buried him close to the garden in a place where he used to run in circles around the yard; and he is next to Cuddles.

We all told him “good-bye” before he went, and he was in so much discomfort that I knew he wanted to get some relief. I have no idea if there is a place for animals in the hereafter, but I am comforted in believing that Benji is with Cuddles, Tiger and Puppy.

Benji was an excellent dog all the time we had him. He made some messes on the floor now and then but all dogs do that. He was a poor little puppy that Pat picked out at the animal shelter in Dayton. He was a mess, in a cage, with long legs that wobbled when we stood him on the floor. Pat said she wanted “this dog” even if the rest of us didn’t. The attendant came out and said, "Oh, you picked, ‘Smiley’.” It is true, for ears afterward, he would smile, like a person smiles and show his front teeth.

Benji had a bouncing walk like no other dog I have seen before or since. This bouncing walk was especially prominent just after he used the bathroom outside. He knew he would get a treat when he came inside, and he bounced all the way into the house. He was happy indeed!

Benji was 16 years old when he was put to sleep. He was our friend and we loved him dearly. His new friend and out new dog, Autumn, misses him too.

Goodbye Benji, boy . . .

Snow Sculpture

2012-01-29T08:02:00.001-05:00

Like modern art, a snow sculpture, stands in the stark contrast to the world around. The only color is in the pedestal of the birdbath. Somehow it all turns out beautiful.

Brushes

2012-01-28T17:38:00.004-05:00

This kind of feels like "brushing away" the past and starting out again with a new set of brushes. I have, somehow, screwed up my Flickr account and had to delete most of what was there. The problem is having more than one Flickr account and they kept wanting me to combine them, or sign in with this one or use Facebook to sign in. In the end it was a nightmare worthy of the end of the world music rattling the windows. So I departed Flickr and am doing business elsewhere. I also donated the money they got from me for a "Pro" account.

Honeybee and Mosquito and Poppy

2012-01-27T13:29:00.004-05:00

The honeybee, on the left side, and the mosquito on the right side, are approaching this red poppy that is loaded with pollen. I watched the couple share the meal and fly away and more came. It was a busy poppy all day.

Dwight's House Fire

2012-01-26T00:01:00.012-05:00

This still is Dwight's House. It doesn't look like much. I think the yellow tape is still hanging there. I go by the house, once every couple of months. Maybe there will be some cleanup progress, but there never is. Dwight Ressler lost the house he was born in and all of his possessions on February 14th 2009. Dwight and I have been friends from day one. We are the same age and went to school together. I ate some fabulous meals that Bonnie, his mother, fixed and was always eager to get some of her sugar cured ham. I helped Milbert, his father, pick tomatoes and got ten cents a hamper. Now, however, the house is gone and about all we have left are memories from an earlier and happier time when the barnyard was alive with the sounds of farm animals.

Waiting out the snowstorm

2012-01-25T06:35:00.001-05:00

I think all living things enjoy a lust for life with friends or others like themselves. When life or death is on the line, birds will sometimes perch very close together to live or die together. Starlings are the most raucous birds alive but when times are rough and they stay close together—if one freezes to death—they all are found frozen to death.

Cold Windy Day

2012-01-24T00:35:00.002-05:00

Starlings Perched on Thermostat, a photo by oldmanlincoln2012 on Flickr.

It is cold and windy here. Had warmed up a bit today but it is now going back down and the birds are a bit on the frosty side. I took this photo several years ago. It is the only time the birds posed like this on the thermometer just outside the window.