My very best girl

Willow gave it her all, but on September 30th I helped her go. She was a miracle every day and I am so amazed that she sustained as long as she did. I will always be grateful for my very best girl. I realized well into her life that I was spoiled by her excellence. Her excellent house manners, her excellent people skills. Her excellent disposition. Her excellent devotion to me.

During her time with me her best moments were when we were reaching out to others. Shortly after I acquired Willow my mother started on her slow downward spiral. Mama loved animals though, and she liked my dogs just fine. When she moved to the assisted living facility, I began taking Willow in to see her. Of course this is a community, and there are those who love dogs, and those who are scared of them. I was very consciencous of this fact, and the fact that my dog was not a lapdog and was intimidating to many but Willow's quiet manner made her lots of friends in the nursing home. Many residents saw her and started holding out their hands and clammored to pet her as soon as they saw her come in the door. I distinctly remember one visit we were in the community room with mama, and one of the residents started getting upset, shouting towards me "Get that dog outa my house! Dogs don't go in the house!"

We moved down to mom's room to quit upseting her of course. A few visits later, I caught this same woman glimpsing over at her occasionally while we were doing Willow's tricks for the other residents, all the while tryng not to let me know she was watching her.

The couches in the community area were threefold, and were set up facing a tele in a U shape. A few visits later mom and I were sitting on one of the couches watching tv while Willow sat and mom petted her and this same woman came in and sat on a couch on the other side, quietly watching, and a few visits later she was there, in the room, waiting for us. I invited her to sit on our couch, and she joined me, and was soon shyly petting my well-behaved angel. She quickly joined the ranks of clammoring fans to greet her when Woo came into the home, and was, for the remainder of her lifetime, Willows devoted friend.

Willow made lots of friends along the way, and she made it possible for many dogs to live a great life by our giving them a second chance. Today I got some photos of one of those second chance dogs. Moxie (shown in these photos) along with Brock (formerly Redman) were pulled by me the same day. I went down to look at one, saw there were two, and decided they were both coming home with me. Willow gave her stamp of approval on both boys which was good enough for me. Neither was with me very long before they were adopted. Moxie went to Nancy in New York State. Nancy went to extreme lengths to pick up Moxie when the train proved difficult to make. This week Nancy was travelling and decided to bring Moxie on her vacation for some one-on-one time (she has a total of four siberians). She sent me some photos just today of her boy (hard to call him ours - he's been there for many years now! grin - but I still do in my heart) - I'm not sure about how you readers view this photo, but it looks like Moxie knows he's got it good, and has no intentions of giving up his spot on the bed or his place in her heart! Moxie looks an awful lot like my Woo and I've often wondered if we would discover they were actually related if we could view their pedigree (like my Sixx, and Yuri were).

Moxie is one of quite a few dogs who got a second chance because 10 years ago I said "I'll take her" and brought home my Woo. My thanks - to all who have loved her in their hearts - with thanks and love from mine.

Willow Bay Keno Barnhart
Feb, 25, 1998 - Sept. 30, 2008

Much loved as the heart and beginning of WooPak and MUSH-R, but mostly for being my very best girl.

Godspeed Woo