It was just a couple days ago I sat on the kitchen floor. Several puppies were brought in to me. I picked out her for her striking blue eyes and playfulness.

Two Saturdays later I was to bring her home. But He who makes the weather had other plans. The storm of the century they called it. Two feet of snow. Even with 4-wheel drive I wasn't going anywhere.

I picked her up the next day. Oh how she cried on the way home, being put in a new box in this strange vehicle. I brought my new little fluff ball into the house. Heh, her ears hadn't even stood up yet. The first thing I did was set her in my lap, look her in the eye and promise to love her, take the best care of her I could and always be there for her her entire life.

I wanted to give her a Russian or Alaskan name so I went out and bought an Alaska state map. I had my best friends over, we looked over the map and I named her Kishka.
Turns out a kishka is also a type of Jewish sausage.

Seemingly overnight she grew into the most beautiful blue eyed red & white husky you ever did see. Huskies usually tend to be small (by large breed standards) and bundles of energy, or big and low key. I got both. Big (60 lbs) and nuclear powered. I wish I could've tapped into that energy. She loved nothing more than to run just for the sake of running and to play.
In typical husky fashion she was also as stubborn as she was energetic. But then, so am I. That sometimes made for some "interesting" times, much I suspect, like being married.

She never slowed down one whit till maybe a year ago. After 11 years that was understandable. Maybe 6 months ago she started to go downhill. But at that time her physical problems were only an inconvenience to me and I had a promise to keep. Within the last few weeks her deteriorating health started to accelerate at an ever increasing rate. Her pain was obvious, and life was now sadly becoming an inconvenience to her.

Where did the last 12 years go? It was only yesterday I picked her out wasn't it?

I took her to the vets today. I hugged her and kissed her and told her that I love her for the last time as she drifted off in my lap.

I love you Kishka. May we meet again some day.