2 Roosters, a Dog, and a Horse..

[jdmidwest]

We committed Dad to the nursing home on my annual trip to Spring River the weekend before Memorial Day 2022.  His health had been failing and we were unable to stay with him and keep him going.  He had fallen and banged himself up several times that spring living there by his self. 

My visits to him weekly on trips back from taking care of the farm always started on how things were going.  When he became unable to get outside and feed, his collection of Banty chickens was given to a friend.  When he came in to collect them off their roosting pen, 2 roosters escaped that night and went feral.  We had a stock dog, part Pyronees and Border Collie that was getting long in the years and a 30 year old mare that reared many colts.  My head count, 2 roosters, a dog, and a horse.  Then we went on to other things.

Months went by.  One trip, 1 rooster, a dog, a horse.  Came home to farm to find chicken feathers out in the garden spot, chicken hawk plucked him right there.  Later, a dog and a horse.  The other rooster disappeared, coyote, bobcat, or an owl popped him off the roost.

Finally we got over that part, thankfully he quit asking.  He missed the part where my sister came out with her husband and had to put the dog down.  He never knew the part about when I came in on a hot July day and found the horse dead several days of old age.

Finally, Dec 20, he passed in my arms with family around us that morning.  We buried him the afternoon on Dec 26 with military honors in a church grave yard at the head of my paternal grandparents, next to my paternal great grandparents not far from the family farm in the family church yard.

And that is how that story ends. 

[dpitt]

Beautiful

[Quillback]

Great tribute to you dad.  

[Terrierman]

It's a good story.  RIP