Shine on you crazy diamond….

“Remember when you were young,
you shone like the sun.
Shine on you crazy diamond.”
― Pink Floyd

My son always used to say to me when he came to visit us;
“isn’t it time you got a dog, Mom?
the cat isn’t glad to see me!”
I told him that the cat was easier to manage and didn’t require that much attention.

When my son changed worlds we had a cute Kitten called Ziggy-Stardust.
Sadly last October, a year after my son’s passing,
he was killed on the road outside our house.
About a month before Ziggy-Stardust crossed the rainbow bridge,
I had a reading with a medium, in order to contact my son.
It was a happy reading and my son came through in full force.
What baffled me though, was that he said we had a dog that could see him, which we didn’t at the time…(we still had Ziggy-Stardust)

When our cat was run over, we decided to get a rescue dog.
His name is Zebidiah which means “gift from God”…Zeb for short.
My son loved Pink Floyd and I dedicated the song “Shine on you crazy diamond” to him, we played it at his celebration.

I have only just realized that Zeb has a diamond on his back, and maybe, just maybe my son sent him to us…they say they can see the future from the other side.

Well anyway, I take it as a sign…
“Shine on you crazy diamond!”

 

Road Trip

We went on a road trip with our dog…

From the dog diaries…
I drooled so much on the way to Nelson Mandela Bay, that Mom threatened to buy me a bib, I told her that I’m not a baby!
There were so many exciting stops along the way where I left my calling card and some drops of my own lovely smell for any future visitors.
Our first stop was down a bumpy road where I met my Mom’s friend and we looked at her lovely new house. Her two dogs were very friendly and made me feel right at home. While my Mom and Dad ate lunch I sat under the table enjoying the cool air. I had lost my appetite because I was wondering if they were tired of me and I was being taken away. I ate a little chicken and that helped.
When we got to Nelson Mandela Bay I met my brother. I had always fancied myself as an only child so I was a bit miffed! Apparently, he has a cat, 2 snakes, and a spider so I was not very keen to go to his place, plus I do misbehave around cats and even though his cat is called Gandalf, my Mom didn’t want to take any chances.
Luckily we were booked into a dog-friendly Airbnb…
There I met a dog with no bark and we became good friends, though he did try to steal my ball. A three-legged cat gave me a huge wakeup call and I realized that cats actually can defend themselves with very painful consequences. I visited 3 large parks and one restaurant. I can recommend Nelson Mandela Bay to any future travelers….it’s dog-friendly, except of course for the malls which are too glitzy for me anyway and there are no trees to leave calling cards.
We hit the road and I was terribly sad to say goodbye to Lavender cottage where the linen is silky, the water is filtered and the grass is soft.
My drooling was getting better and Mom was so proud of me.
On our way to Bathurst in the Eastern Cape we stopped at a very scary farm stall where a big dog ran out and scratched my Dad’s car trying to get to me….we sped off so quickly, you couldn’t see us for dust. Dad is my hero you know!
We arrived at a lovely wooden cottage off the beaten track and I immediately needed to test out the linen. It wasn’t quite as silky but the bed was big and very comfortable. There were even some doggie treats for me on arrival.
Then we went to see my Mom and Dad’s friend who they talk about so much because they’ve known her so long and she was everything they said and more. I fell in love at first sight…she even gave me a little bit of cat food and some sliced chicken. The only downside is that she has 2 cats and I really had to mind my manners around them. The cute little black one gave me the hairy eyeball and I was on my best behavior after that.
Actually, I would have stayed with my Mom’s friend forever….cats and all, but my Dad said we were going home and I do love our big garden and my selection of three couches to lie on.
It was a hard decision but Dad made it for me.
When we got home the electricity was off and while that doesn’t bother me in the slightest, I could see my mom was panicking because she couldn’t send messages to say she’d arrived safely!
She said to Dad that the fridge being off and defrosted wasn’t the worst thing that had ever happened to her.
They left me in the dark and went to phone from their friend’s house, but I was home, so it was okay!
All in all, my entire road trip broadened my horizons and gave me a new perspective on life…but I can definitely say one thing….there’s no place like home!