7 Sloan's Last Trip to Brimham: I'm Calling This One for the Dogs

 If you've got furry kids, or if you're someone with human kids who has friends with furry kids, I'm sure you've taken part in the debate.

Human Kids vs. Dogs/Cats: Which Are Easier/Better?

I've definitely had my turns in this never-ending competition, and, to be honest, I think it's a draw- sure, you can leave dogs at home without a sitter when you run errands, but human kids are also welcome more places (especially in America-land). Human kids grow up too fast? Sure, but knock on wood, you get them in your life a whole lot longer than (an optimistic) 15-18 years. So shut up.  Dogs lick their butts and scoot on the carpet? Human kids do drugs.  (No, not all do, but then, not all dogs scoot, either.)

Anyway, my point is that I think having to leave somewhere they obviously love is harder for pets (dogs specifically in this post) because they don't know it's their last time. 

Friday, September 28, we had our fast shipment packed up and moved out of our house for good.  Between that little pack-out and house-cleaning, we took a late-afternoon break to go to Brimham Rocks (lots of links in the first paragraph of this post) for the last time. Watson (my Element) was scheduled to be cleaned and wait to be shipped the next morning and our National Trust membership expired that Sunday, so it was clearly a "now or never" time. We popped both dogs in the car and, as usual, Sloan got wiggle-butt excited as soon as she recognized the route.  Brimham was fairly empty, which we appreciated.  Both dogs were able to run around, sniffing, chasing, and hurtling through the heather without a care. 

I wanted to get one last picture of the two of them with Nidderdale as their backdrop, but they weren't interested in cooperating!

We moseyed around, both Paul and I walking slower and slower as we took in the beauty of our surroundings as well as the complete joy on Sloan's face. The tears I was fighting began to win, and I told Paul "She doesn't even know. And we have no way to tell her." 

That's a happy tush.

The rain earlier in the day gave us a double rainbow (the second rainbow's barely visible here, but it's to the right of the brighter one). Rainbows and double rainbows aren't uncommon in Great Britain, but that one really hit my heart, and made me smile through my watery eyes. 

We stayed for a while, playing fetch and sitting on rocks as the dogs sniffed puddles and chased imaginary beasties. I wondered out loud if it wasn't better that Sloan didn't know, because then she might not have been so carefree; so every-day in her fun. She was spared the bittersweet that Paul and I were feeling.

I know that Paul and I will see North Yorkshire again, even if it's just for a visit here and there, but common sense tells me that's not likely for Sloan (or Max & Mia).  We're lucky enough to have pictures (hundreds of them, in fact) to help trigger our memories of her favorite place, but I hope that, when Sloan's running in her dreams and kicking me during the night, she's bounding through the thick heather and leaping off the tall rocks at the Brimham in her mind.