Photo by Bill Stokes
By Bill Stokes
Kickass, the doorstop dog, joins the keeper in a bit of alteration of the Ogden Nash poem that ends “But old men know when the old men die,” by adding “old dogs” to the mix. The occasion is the demise of Sugar, a small white poodle type that lived with Roger and Sandra at Vista West but was a casual friend to all the rest of the residents.
Sugar was 15 years old when she went for the long walk, which translates to make her older than any of the Vista West residents, even including the keeper.
At an informal Vista West gathering, Sugar’s life was memorialized by 10 seconds of silence, followed by a brief speech by Roger in which he noted that Sugar had the same dedicated veterinarian all her life, and that vet made a courtesy home visit to reminisce with Roger and Sandra about a life well lived.
Sugar’s death is known not only by the old men at Vista West but by the old ladies too. They all hope that their furry little friend may RIP or go on to raise a little canine hell, whatever suits her.
