Issue one 2021 – following nearly a year of pandemic.
Bidding Farewell to our Best Dog Ever
I was considering a ‘Sober February’ to prove to myself that I’m okay, drinking wise, following this difficult year. I’ve been super-enjoying the dry SoCo Manhattans. A lot. Owning and operating two toddler hospitality businesses in Cuba has been rough. My dad died, my mom’s not well, my mother-in-law is improving, and now, Petri is gravely ill.
She has been acting different the last couple of weeks. Fussy with food, griping about getting back into the Ford Flex, and asking to go out in the middle of the night. She collapsed Friday evening, ‘recovered’ and joined us to sleep upstairs on her own. Saturday morning, she was waiting for me to go downstairs as she always does but fell clumsily as she got up. We took her to the emergency Orchard Park Veterinary Medical Center, thinking she had had a stroke.
Her horrible diagnosis by sonogram is advanced cancer. The kind doctor we spoke to thinks she has a few days and has irreversible internal bleeding. She prescribed some Chinese herbal medication as a Hail Mary. Petri is not complaining a bit. The picture attached is today. Just two days ago, she was finding balls in the snow by the iced lake happily wagging her tail and sniffing the fresh winter air from her back seat window. She’s had a charmed life and has added so much more to ours.
Our Beloved Petri
She was a puppy when we lived on Main St. and bought our first West Shore cottage. She’s been with us at Sterilator and served as the best dang Inn dog anywhere. She is an excellent boat dog. She’d stay on the boat at Carpies, allowing guests to pet & feed her. She was happily at her work perch on the porch of The Old Grey Hound last week. She’s sitting beside me now, keeping an eye on the ice fisher folk, the Bostons sleeping, and ‘The Gods Must be Crazy’ on FXM. Ground beef & mashed potatoes – her favs – are on the menu tonight. I’m so happy we have time to say goodbye. That’s a gift, as well.
I’m grateful both businesses are closed for a couple of weeks. The Old Grey Hound will re-open Thursday, February 18th with new hours. Thursday/Friday/Saturday 11am to 7pm. We will provide lunch delivery service. We plan to continue takeout and delivery only until the beginning of March, dependent on Covid. We’re itchy to invite folks back indoors but will wait until we’re confident of all our safety.
As for the Inn, our long-term guests from Texas left sooner than planned and we’re hoping to entice the new crew to stay with us. It’s an ideal way for us to maintain income during the pandemic. We will begin booking for Valentines weekend if they continue at the Holiday Inn in Olean. Please watch our FB page for updates on both businesses. We’re doing our best during these unprecedented times. We look forward to hosting again soon!
We’ll talk with the Cuba Veterinary Care tomorrow and let them know we’ll need their services as soon as Petri seems uncomfortable. For now, a sober February is unlikely. Please keep us all in your thoughts. We Doyles are tender folk, so allow us some slack for a while. A truly wonderful soul will be passing over the rainbow bridge soon. We love you Petri, you’ve been a practically perfect pup for eleven and a half years. God speed, sweet soul.