Dear Readers: For my final column of the year, I am sharing some photos of a few of the wonderful animals that have touched my life this past year in a special way. Of course there are many more that are not included herein, all those are firmly held within my heart. I’ve also chosen to mention something special I’ve learned from my interaction with each special creature. As we turn the page on 2010, I thank all my readers and wish everyone a healthy prosperous and happy 2011. With love and thanks,
Dr. Forsythe and Nurse Dooney.
Little orphaned fawns are scared and cold when they are brought in. They need warmth, goat’s milk replacer and people to help get them rehabilitated and back into the wild where they belong. I learned that the people of Sonoma are loving towards many types of animals – not just dogs and cats, but even this little Bambi.Bella Luna. A masterpiece more beautiful and precious than any painting in the Louvre, I learned of love unspoken from her. I also learned that ‘thank you’ can come in the form of a gentle glance, a sweet kiss and from the look of soft blue eyes. I’m also no longer afraid of death as I know that one day I hope to see her beauty and grace again if I am a lucky man.Lilly Kastan. A friend of mine for many years. She endured diabetes, heart disease and Cushing’s disease for several years. She lived with grace and beauty and her little nub of a tail always wagged when she came into the hospital for treatments. I learned to always stay positive and be grateful for good care, to always fight hard through tough times, and to try and be hearty.Elliot the Bunny. Sweet, soft and trusting, with big wide eyes and owners who loved him more than anything in the world. I learned that even bunny rabbits need lots of sweet kisses on the nose, so he got them, before and after I neutered him.Me and my son Magnus feeding Dorilla the Wooly monkey on the mighty Amazon. She is an incredible, special monkey with amazing human like traits; intelligence, gentility, dexterity, thoughtfulness, and playfulness. Mostly though I learned that spending time with my son was the greatest gift I could ever receive. Those nine days in South America will forever stay in my heart and mind as long as I live.Paulina the cat who shared our room in Iquitos, Peru. She taught me that cats are very tenacious and serve several purposes. This cat provided love and comfort for the visitors to the Amazon while also killing and eating poisonous snakes, spiders and giant cockroaches for food on a daily basis. Mana. This pet needed a chest tube because of a foxtail embedded in his lung. I learned that dogs ask for very little but are grateful for everything. I also learned that if a dog isn’t sure whether he will live or die, sleeping next to his cage often makes the difference! Mana is all better now and running all over the place in Eureka, California.
