Kahuna......my best friend

Kahuna.......I lost her. I called her Huna, babygirl, princess. She was 16 years old and she was my best friend. She was funny, sweet and lovable. She first came into my life when I found a note on the kitchen counter...MOM, DO NOT LOOK IN THE LAUNDRY ROOM. Love Brad. Uh, yeah right! There she was this pitiful sad eyed little puppy. What was my 12 year old thinking?? We can't have another dog. What kind of fool has 3 dogs?? Uh, that would be me. Three months later I gave her to my friend Traci who would take good care of her. Two days later she called and said "Ceci, you have to take Kahuna back. Kahuna was miserable. O.K. I said bring her back. Traci drove her back and as soon as Kahuna saw she was on our little street....she pooped in excitement! Lordy! I guess Kahuna knew where she needed to be.

One of Kahuna's little habits was to drag toilet paper from the bathroom through the house when we were gone doing errands. We'd come home and "Kaaaahuuuunnnaaa" I would drawl out in a low tone. Her floppy ears would pull back and just the tips of the bottom of her ears would curl under. At the same time she had this funky drawn back grin and she would squeal because she got caught....again. We don't have to close the doors anymore.........I wish we did.

She was always watching out for me..her mama dog. When we lived on the Oregon coast. I used to sleep with only the screen door closed so we would have fresh coastal air circulating. One very early morning she saw a bear on my back deck and she went flying through the screen door and treed the bear barking like a mad dog. Ah yes, thanks Kahuna for protecting me. In these last years she loved to sit outside smell the fresh cool air and watch the neighbors walk by with their dogs. She would bark in protest to let them know they were in her space and she was watching over her family. That's all she could do was bark. Only her barks would not be strong but would fade out due to her age. But still, she was doing her "job" of protecting her family.


As she got older she really stuck close to me. Wherever I was she wanted to be there also. Even with her aching hind legs she would force herself to get up and follow me. As she aged she had physical problems. When she was not feeling well and scared...yes she would get scared. I would lay with her on the floor sometimes for a couple of hours. I would stay with her there until she was calm and comfortable petting her rubbing her ears and talking to her in soft tones all the while. She had been there for me during the best and yes some very awful times in my life. She knew when I was hurting or sad and she would lay at my feet or put her head on my lap and one little lick on my hand to let me know that she loved me and would always be there for me.

Those of you who share the love of family pets know this same loss. There is an emptiness. So I grieve the lost of my best friend. I love you my Huna girl......kisses.... Aloha