I fear this is not a funny chapter like most of the ones before, but do read it nevertheless, please.

In my long life of now almost 15 years I never did mind an “All of a sudden event”, but this one scared me and made me soo sad:
My "Brudder", de dear Diarmuid, passed away on September 29th - all of a sudden and unexpectedly, at the early age of just five and a half.

How come? Did he have an accident on the road as we all are exposed to so often? Did he get in a fight with another big dog? None of these. And he even did not seem to be ill when he flew up the stairs towards his bed as always the night before he left us.

But the next morning, only 8 hours later, when Mummy tried to wake him up, he was lying in a coma, just breathing heavily with no reactions to anything, eyes open but not moving. Mummy woke Daddy up quickly to lift him out of his box and then rushed him to the vet. But it was too late: he had acute leukemia, blood cancer, and the leukocytes had already exploded into jillions and taken over. No chance at all for a treatment. So the only option left was to help him over the rainbow bridge.

If you read the chapters I wrote ever since he joined our family, then you will have realized that we two never really were close friends because we were as different as two Wheaties can be. But we tolerated each other and our food dishes, except that we both liked to clean up the other one’s after all the bites were gone.

And I miss him and Mummy thinks I am sad though I don’t speak.

I can recall all his nicknames:

• The Brown Panter (because he was caramel-colored and panted a lot!),
• Viking (because of his Danish origin and his somewhat rough behaviour),
• Gangster (because of his black “mask” on his face),
• The Court Jester  (because I am the Princess)
• Macho (well he really acted one!)
• The Woolly Bison (that`s what he looked like)
• The Brat

At one point I even called him a coward. Sorry, Diarmuid, I take it back!

I was not jealous that he liked to sit on Mummy’s lap after parking backwards in a way that many a human car driver would have envied. He also liked to do that with children when they sat on the lawn. Actually he was an even better friend with the little humans than I am. He was a cuddler. If only he did not bark so loud; but I guess that’s how boys are in general, so it was not really his fault.

I showed him how to use the agility equipment helping him to conquer each of his fears and after a while he actually picked that up.

When Daddy put the sad news on facebook this is what people answered:

• Michaela: I remember his first show. So sad. He will ever be in our hearts
• Paola: It's terrible! I can only imagine your sorrow. Poor puppy...
• Sabine: I was so shocked, when I got the news. Dear Roberta and Peter, I am so sorry, I cry with you.
• Rachel: Thinking of you and hugging Sham and Tyson extra tight! I wish we could have  met him!
• Edith: Das kann doch nicht sein....mir läuft es eiskalt den Rücken runter!
• Philip: So sorry to read this, Peter and Roberta. While we never knew Diarmuid in
    person, we know only too well what it is like to lose a real member of the family. We do
    hope that Gráinne is still ok! Love and commiserations from Phil and Bob
• Aunty Sarabeth: He was such a cuddler, unique in many ways. He will always be part of our "best friend" memories.

Somehow Diarmuid kept me younger than I actually am. Now that he is gone I feel really old. After all I am beyond the average age a Wheaten reaches. Walking has become difficult as my hind legs don’t always want to follow the front ones. I am really still enjoying my food though and I  sleep a lot.

Farewell, dear Diarmuid. You really stormed the rainbow bridge and doggies’ heaven and I am sure you are already romping around with our fellow sWheaties who went before you. Some day I will follow you.

See you then
Gráinne