In Memory of
Castletop's Lady Star Ebony
Born May 24, 1995 Died December 2, 2004
On August 22, 1995 I went to the Castletop's Kennel to see some buff puppies that were just 5 weeks old. I was leaning over the crate watching the puppies with their mother, when Zoë, the breeder, started to talk and I heard her say, "I have two black puppies that are ready to go now if you want to look at them too."
I turned around just in time for this wonderful black fur ball to be placed in my arms. I never looked back at the buff puppies and never let go of this black puppy that crawled deep into my heart that day. It was one of the most important days in my whole life.
Her full name was Castletop's Lady Star Ebony.
She was named for the Disney's Lady, who was the first cocker spaniel that attracted my attention. She had a star of white on her chest and a diamond of white on her neck. Her hair was soft and fine and felt like silk when she first got her bath and grooming. I loved to bury my nose in her ears and speak sweet nothings to her. She actually purred (yes dogs purr too) when I was nuzzling her.
How do I put 9 1/2 years of love into a few words. It is impossible. But I can share a few anecdotes to help people know that she was a very special dog.
Ebony was the cleanest, easiest dog to housetrain. Except for a bout of illness, she hadn't had an accident in the house since she was 7 months old. The first year of her life was the year that the Northeast USA got so much snow and had the blizzard in January that closed New York City for 3 days. Ebony was housetrained before the snow started. However, in the spring of the next year (1996) Ebony could be found searching for the last bits of snow under trees or bushes in order to relieve herself. She spent so much time with the excess snow, she forgot she was allowed to go on the grass.
When she was just over a year old, I had major abdominal surgery. I was gone from the house for 3 days. When I got home, I spent most of the day on the couch with my legs in a slight crossed position. I couldn't straighten them out because the stitches in my abdomen would pull and hurt when I did. Ebony decided that the spot in side my crossed legs was hers. She slept there almost non-stop while I recuperated. When visitors came to see me, she would raise her head and gently lay it on top of the incision as if to protect and keep others from hurting me. I called the spot she slept in, the nook. And up to the day before she died, if I asked her if she wanted to sleep in the nook she would run to me and jump in the space. Of course the last few days of her life, she walked over slowly and I picked her up to put her there. As much pain as she must have been in, she would snuggle in and give me that contented sigh and fall right to sleep. The day before she died, she couldn't get comfortable and she wasn't sleeping or walking very well. I carried her to the couch and got in the position and placed her in her "nook". She fell sound asleep for over 2 hours.
When my niece Carole was born, Ebony was already 4 1/2 years old. I had a slight concern about how Ebony would deal with children. There were kids in the neighborhood that would come and play with her in the backyard when she was a puppy, but she had never lived with children in the house. Well, I needn't have worried. Ebony took to being a "mom" like water. She allowed Carole to climb on her and pull her ears. Carole hugged her and shook her feet and pulled at her baloney tongue and Ebony never even moved away. She didn't growl or snarl. Every once in a while Ebony would look at me for help. I would move Carole away from her and Ebony would move to be with Carole. She loved children!
I could write for hours about her. The memories are wonderful and very vibrantly real to me today. I will add more as I remember more.
I have never had the blessing of being a mom and many will be insulted when I try and compare a child with a dog, but, I know in my heart that Ebony was the baby I never had. She, more than anything else, taught me what unconditional love was. I know that I am capable of being an unselfish person because of her. I also know that one of the best things I ever did with my life was to be Ebony's Mom.
God Bless You my little pooch pie.
I will remember you and love you forever.
