30/11/2025
A snapshot of Holly the elkhound's great life. Saying goodbye to a dog who's been your faithful sidekick for almost 17 years is tough. Holly is deep in the earth since last Thursday. I really miss her quiet presence about the place.
Getting a puppy is a bit like having a child. Except that dogs are unquestioningly loving, non-judgemental and forgiving. Holly was like my third daughter, part of the family. She found her way deep into all our hearts.
Caressing her head and looking into her deep brown, kohl-lined eyes, I shared many worries and secrets with her. She listened, reminding me that all that really matters is this present moment.
Of course, she had boundless energy when young. Being a hound, her pursuit of prey (rabbits mainly) was energetic, mostly bloodless.
Both my daughters were with me and Holly in Glengarra Woods once when we rounded a bend to see a deer standing in front of us; Holly took off into the woods in frantic pursuit. We stayed put for a few hours til she came back. She was out-run, exhausted but, oh, what fun she'd had.
She's been an old lady for quite a few years now, but her keen sense of smell remained her compass. She read the world through her nose.
'A dog can never tell you what she knows from the smells of the world, but you know, watching her, that you know almost nothing.' -Mary Oliver
Holly is in pain-free doggy dreamland but her spirit will stay with me forever.
“A good dog never dies. He always stays. He walks besides you on crisp autumn days when frost is on the fields and winter's drawing near. His head is within our hand in his old way.” - Mary Carolyn Davies
