Susan - God’s Good Creation

August 31, 2023September 23, 2023

Doughton Park – Our Spot

Waiting To See & Know
(originally posted March 20, 2019)

We call it “our spot.” On a clear day, to Susan’s far right (off camera), you can just make out Grandfather Mountain where the ole guy still sleeps. And to her far left (also off camera) rising from the ashes of Big Tobacco the Winston-Salem skyline.

From Salem to Grandpappy, as the crow flies, about 100 miles. And all of it, every square mile of it, right there in front of us. At our spot.

Sitting there you could almost imagine omniscience. I mean, of course, if you had the best possible vantage point. And perfect vision. Panoramic vision to widen the frame. Telescopic vision to cover the distance. Microscopic vision to get really close. But more, a vision that penetrates the surface, a vision that uncovers the hidden. That detects the subtlest fold of the heart. With vision like that, from a place like that, you could see and know it all.

We spent hours at our spot. Hours full of small talk. Big talk. And re-creative silence. Munching on crackers and cheese. Salami and prosciutto. Chocolate. Lots of chocolate. Laughing. Loving. Thinking. Contemplating the meal set before us, the view set before us, the hours and days to come, hoping to see, hoping to know. Convinced we are known. And given our limited vision, by Faith willing to embrace the mystery. Grateful for the beauty we could see.

All the while sipping a nice Pinot Noir or easing back a water bottle of “Magic Elixir” both carefully crafted to make the heart glad. And they did!

Stretching below us the Yadkin Valley boasts of 38 wineries. We visited many of them. But none of them with a view like this. Up high like this. As elevating as this. We loved our spot. Our place in the world.

A day with my best friend. Waiting to see and know…

 Psalm 33:13-22
The LORD looks down from heaven; 
     He sees all humankind.
From where he sits enthroned he watches
     all the inhabitants of the earth--
He who fashions the hearts of them all,
     and observes all their deeds....
Truly the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him,
     on those who hope in his steadfast love,
to deliver their soul from death,
     and to keep them alive in famine.
Our soul waits for the LORD;
     He is our help and shield.
Our heart is glad in him,
     because we trust in his holy name.
Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us,
     even as we hope in you.  (NRSV)

Our Spot – At Dawn
(Aug 19, 2023)

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Our Bella, My Girls

Susan loved the movie Forrest Gump. We often recited the well-known lines between Forrest and Jenny.

Me: ….are you my girl?

Susan: I’ll always be your girl…..

She is.

And so is Bella.

Sadly, this week, I had to say goodbye to our Bella. She had degenerative disk disease and arthritis. Also, about three months ago, she hurt her left leg running down our gravel road. She loved to sprint after doing her “business.” It was fun to watch. Except when she hurt her leg.

I tried everything; acupuncture, laser therapy, adequine shots, epson salt baths. But the leg just never got better. In the video below you’ll see one of my socks on her left leg. Because of disk disease she was dragging the leg. And it needed protection. (A more fashion conscious ensemble was on order from Amazon.)

Top half of her body still worked. Bottom half not so much. In the last two weeks I had to hold her straight while she squatted to P&P. Which I was willing to continue. But she stopped eating regularly. And was refusing her treats! She started to look at me as if to say, do something!

Doubled her pain meds in the last two weeks. That was something. But not enough.

I took her for a four hour ride on the parkway this Wednesday (see pic below). She loved our rides. We enjoyed Wednesday on the parkway very much. But understandably couldn’t visit “Our Spot.” Except from a distance.

What a great companion Bella has been for Susan and I. Susan’s last two years. And now with me for 4. I can’t imagine having a better dog. Patient, kind, obedient. And most of all loving.

You wonder about the timing of these things. As pet owner you have the power of life and death over these beautiful creatures of God. So you want to do the right thing by them. God graciously confirmed the timing of my difficult decision Thursday morning.

Before I backed out of my driveway to take Bella to the Vet for the last time, I turned my radio on for some “mood music.”

Take a look at the song that was playing for us.