Lady Talisker of Earleton

by Marshall, Sharon, and Macallan
(Earleton, Florida USA)

There is nothing you can do, but I thought I'd share the very sad news. Yesterday, we buried Tali (Lady Talisker) in our back yard overlooking the lake where she loved to swim.

As we do often, on Monday, July 21, 2008, we let Mac and Tali loose to run free during our morning walk and they took off deep into the woods, probably chasing a deer or something, which is standard practice. But they didn't return when we called, so we had to go out looking for them. Sharon found Mac, but we couldn't find Tali. We drove around the neighborhood and eventually found her body lying by the side of Hwy 26, about 2 miles from where we let them loose. Her penchant for chasing cars was her final act. In one sense, she died doing what she loved.

Her sudden departure is very hard on both of us, and especially hard on Mac. We're trying our best to help him through this period of adjustment, but he lost such a dear friend - they were joined at the shoulders from the time they met. It is a miracle that he wasn't there at her side when we found her.

She was always such an upbeat creature. Mac is taking it pretty hard. He is probably very confused about what happened to her. We did let him sniff her body when we brought it home, but who knows what he surmised from that. He was lying in her crate later on Monday, door open, head in his paws. Then this morning, he ran around the house a couple times and came inside and went back out, like he was hoping to find her hiding somewhere. All week he has been pretty mopey and sleeping in all of her old favorites spots to be near her scent, but we're giving him lots of love and attention, and hope to weather out this storm eventuallly.

Tali was with us for such a short time, but she was a very happy dog. She woke each morning with her tail wagging and ready to give us sweet doggie kisses. We miss her so much, because it was so sudden and way too early for such a good dog to go. I'll steal a few words from Hamlet as a tribute to her honor:

She should in ground unsanctified been lodg'd
Till the last trumpet; for charitable prayers,
Shards, flints, and pebbles should be thrown on her.
Yet here she is allow'd her virgin crants,
Her maiden strewments, and the bringing home
Of bell and burial.
Must there no more be done?
No more be done:
We should profane the service of the dead
To sing a requiem and such rest to her
As to peace-parted souls.
Lay her i' th' earth.
And from her fair and unpolluted flesh
May violets spring! I tell thee, churlish priest,
A minist'ring angel shall my sister be
When thou liest howling.

- Hamlet, Act V, Scene I, lines 229-242, speaking of Ophelia, another innocent who died at her own hand