April, 1982 - December 1, 1997

Willow and Manuel share some memories
and a special poem dedicated to their precious jewel -- Ruby.

Ruby came to live at our house when she was about four months old, a large happy puppy, despite the fact she was covered with small burrs and stickers, and had been shuttled to one home after another. She was supposed to have been a St. Bernard, but upon examination by our vet, the diagnosis was that one parent has been a Collie. It didn't matter, because with her sweet temperament, she quickly established herself as a permanent resident in our household.

While our other dogs were content to plow up the fields digging for gophers, Ruby developed a love affair with car riding. For almost 15 years, she was a fixture in the car. Anytime the keys jangled to go anywhere other than work, she was in the front seat, being copilot. She became a well known sight in our small town, setting in the car for hours, as she gazed out the open window at shoppers, and occasionally being petted by those who were drawn to her canine beauty. She was big, about 70 pounds, with a mass of blond hair, all the best qualities of her mixed parentage. Her face was a mask of blond and creamy white, dusted with soft black, while eyes outlined in coal black, created an exotic appearance.

From almost the time Ruby arrived, she ate her food from a Tupperware bowl, carrying it from room to room, setting it down carefully as she found a comfortable position to rest. She would then reach out and cautiously pull the bowl closer so it would be within easy access, to nibble upon between snoozes. During the warm weather, she would carry her bowl outside and find a cool spot under one of the big trees, then dig a hole in the soft dirt and proceed to bury her bowl, food and all, digging it up once in awhile to have a little snack then promptly reburying it.

No longer being able to manage the stairs to come into the house, Ruby's last year with us as one spent mostly in quietness sleeping in the garage, being kept company by a friendly pet rooster. The door was left open during the day, so she could go outside whenever she wanted, which was not frequent due to being in much pain from the ravages of old age. Every time I would go downstairs to check on her during the day, the rooster was usually standing next to Ruby's bed as she slept peacefully, seemingly to guard and comfort her during slumber.

Without going into painful detail, the time arrived to make a decision about Ruby. With the aid of our tender hearted veterinarian, Ruby gently closed her eyes. She fell asleep in my arms, her body relaxing with all her aches and pains swiftly fading, as she crossed over the Rainbow Bridge.

To Ruby

What a beauty she was...
People stopped to stare as she went by,
walking stately, but with a smooth glide.
Golden blond hair, long and thick.
Eyes outlined in coal black
gave her the look of an Egyptian princess.
She was our Ruby,
a combination of Saint Bernard and Collie,
all the best traits of both breeds.
She moved in when she was four months old,
a throwaway.
Man of the house took one look,
"That's the ugliest dog I've ever seen."
She was long legged, skinny,
with short dirty hair covered with burrs,
but what a sweet temperament...
She like to ride in a car,
no, she loved to ride in a car,
gazing out the open window
at people who were passing by.
She ate from a plastic bowl,
carrying it from one shady spot to another,
sometimes burying it in soft dirt
with the food still in it,
until she was hungry and dug it up again.
The one day,
she blossomed in to a creature of beauty,
such as a butterfly emerging from it's cocoon.
We will keep her memory
of that time of grace and beauty,
when she walked with head held high
and people would call out as she passed by,
"What a beautiful dog!"

Return to Ruby

Rest in Peace, Ruby.
You make us smile through our tears. I never thought about it before, but the Rainbow Bridge must have Tupperware Bowls and roosters too!

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