Dogs live too short a life

A dogbituary

Cali (June 9, 2009- August 4, 2020)

She came to our home as a warm puppy; tender, frightened, and curious

We called her Cali, homage to her maternal grandfather’s birthplace

She loved us instantly, pouring out love with no restraint, never holding back

She grew up to have a clear perronality[1]

She despised boats, those intruders of nature, and always barked at them

Fishermen too she disliked, the idea of removing fish from the water offended her

She could spend the entire day out in nature, admiring the river’s horizon, diving for stones

She hated shopping centres, train stations, and other signs of our civilization

Through her mindfulness, she helped her father be a better philosopher

Stubborn and capricious she was

She’d lie flat on the ground and stare at you like a jaded teenager if you tried to walk in the “wrong” direction

We’d end up pulling on her leash like a carry-on bag, to the amusement of onlookers

She resisted all education, and never understood the concept of retrieve, wasn’t she a golden retriever?