https://vimeo.com/64042458  "SHE HAD SUCH SPIRIT"

Twylah chased down her last pheasant after training group the Sunday before she left this physical plane.  This video "hunt" was before that;  I was gunning for her last bird (actually it was Bree's flush & fetch, then I threw it for Twylah.)  The rooster came back to life and she got to chase it down.  She LOVED to chase down roosters.

As we headed back to the house (bird in bag,) she collapsed, I tried to help her up but she went limp.  I stood there thinking she had actually died, but then I could see shallow breathing.  I told Bree to sit with her, and headed for a vehicle (we were down by the cattails near the duck blind.)  As I reached the corner by the middle lake levee I heard footsteps behind me.  Upset, I turned to reprimand Bree for not sitting!  Well, it was Twylah catching up with me, Bree was sitting where I told her to sit!

Monday, Tuesday & Wed went fine, she was slower but stopped at the bumpers hanging in the tree to see if I would throw one for her in the lake, of course I did and all the family got a couple water fetches, then off for the family walk.  Thursday she had trouble getting up for the walk, crossing the levee she didn't ask me to throw anything, we went to the top of the hill; I could tell that was enough.  I sat with her the rest of the afternoon/evening.  She passed quietly Friday morning.  Steve (one of her favorite people/gunners) came out to help me, I wanted to sit outside with her as she passed.  She took her final breath in his arms.

I'm so glad I got my act together and got the family photos taken.  Not this week but soon I'll do a little video of some very happy memories I've videoed as we did our daily walks.  Lots of days I'd just walk with the camera running knowing that someday I'd put together "something"  (I have to admit, on a conscious level I was recording memories to make a little video of Creede for Stan.)  Of course the little clip of Twylah, that over 14,600 people have viewed in the "Dew Claws" video was one of those "camera running, family walks.