Rest in Peace

I wonder whether Spike could see us at his funeral today.  I wonder whether he would be surprised to have seen me there.  I imagine he would be, not least because I was quite surprised to be there too.

I recall Maffi phoning me with the news that Spike and his dog, Milly, had been found dead earlier that day.  I think most of the towpath experienced my surprise.  Dead?  Goodness.

Carbon Monoxide poisoning crept in on Spike and Milly and took them from this world.  So wretched and so unbelievably unnecessary.  Sad, sad, sad.

I remember the last time I moored up near Spike and Milly.  I put the boat alongside the bank and I stepped of it with the centre line.  Milly appeared from no where and hopped on the boat. I laughed, as usual, and got back on the boat to get her off the boat.  I reappeared to find Spike sorting out my mooring ropes.  It was a bit of a ritual. We would chat when we met, go our separate ways and chat when we met again. I enjoyed our encounters.

 Milly was a character in her own right, everyone says that about dogs, but she really was and I used to find her rather amusing.  Milly and Spike were always together and absolutely priceless.

So, I sat there in the crematorium surprised to find myself at Spikes funeral. 

I have often said that our lives affect the people we least expect. Help comes in unusual places and so do smiles.

I wouldn't say I knew Spike, and I wouldn't say he knew me.  I certainly don't make a habit of attending funerals, quite the opposite.  I know Spike knew my name, but so many people do. So there I was and I found myself feeling proud.  I don't know why...perhaps because I feel privileged to have met Spike..  Most of all I feel privileged that for a part of my life my foot steps trod near his.

His footprints certainly affected mine with fun.  Now they lay heavy and silent.

Rest in Peace Spike and Milly.