Roscoe's Crossing Story

I don't know if I ever told anyone, but Roscoe was shifty. He was smart and very shifty, but in a loving way.

His lifelong animal spirit was Coyote, which only increased his ability to be shifty.

Somehow, Roscoe had the ability to control weather, especially around himself.

His Doctor gave him the shot that would knock him out and relax him before she stopped his heart. She gave it to him Sub-Q because she said it burned if it was given directly into the vein. It gave him a few minutes before he was completely out.

My friend lifted him up onto his 'holy sacred couch' where he loved to sleep (before his back got too back for him to safely jump down). I had tried putting a stair step up for him to use, but nope he wasn't going to use that. So then I tried putting a bed down so he would jump onto a soft surface. Well, he just jumped over it. So I had to put things on the couch to keep him off of it. In his latter days, he had forgotten all about the couch.

His head was on my right leg and I was petting him. I kept telling him how much we loved him and would miss him, but that he could come back and sleep in the bed with me anytime he wanted to.

When this started the sky was blue and no sign of rain. Right as he was passing out there came a clap of thunder...and the thunder continued until he crossed then it stopped completely. I told everyone that thunder was his way of saying goodbye.

Our friend carried him out to his Vet's car because I am having him cremated and they left.

Within five minutes after she left, there came a downpour of epic proportions. It rained two inches in fifteen minutes. I don't believe I have ever seen such a hard rain.

When his Vet got back to her office and was carrying him in, it was raining Dogs and Cats. She said she said out loud, "Thanks Roscoe!"

She had to change clothes and dry her hair as she was soaking wet.

I have a very large concrete and coquina Dragon in my front yard. That thing must weigh well over 75 pounds. It rained so hard it washed the dirt out on one side of it (even though there is pine straw mulching there) and it fell over. Not even Tropical Storm Fay that dumped 20 inches of rain on us did that. My friend could hardly lift it up on one end to stand it up again it was so heavy.

I had to laugh as I could hear him telling all of his pack at the Bridge how he and Coyote had punk'd us on his way out.

That was Roscoe's sense of humor.

As my grandson texted me after I sent him the message that Roscoe was gone:

"Godspeed Little Buddy!"