The south end of the beach at Hua Hin, Thailand.
Where are Kevin and Ruth now? Hua Hin, Thailand.

Where are Kevin and Ruth going next? Maldives on March 23rd.

Our Dog

Whiskey was our faithful travelling companion. She passed away in the early morning hours of September 30, 2011. Whiskey joined our family when she was eight weeks old, way back in 1996. She had a great life, and we enjoyed 15 1/2 years together. We sure do miss having her around the motorhome!

The only picture we have of Whiskey as a little puppy!

Whiskey at 7 months old.

By the age of 4, she was already getting some grey on her face.

Whiskey almost died at the age of 4. She contracted Leptospirosis, a rare bacterial infection that causes the kidneys to shut down. She spent two weeks at the vets office and at the beginning they didn't think she would survive. But she did, and even though she also had two bladder stone operations over the years she was for the most part a very healthy dog. She went on a lot of hikes with us, even doing a 3 mile hike a couple of months before she passed away.

Enjoying the sunshine on our backyard picnic table, age 7

Whiskey liked the warmth of our waterbed and she used to get herself right under the covers with her head on the pillow! Age 8

Whiskey came almost everywhere with us, and even enjoyed going for a canoe ride. Age 9

Whiskey, age 11.

Whiskey loved playing on the beach, even at age 14.

Whiskey, age 15. 

We sure do miss you Whiskey!
April 18, 1996 - September 30, 2011.

24 comments:

  1. I am new to your blog, and wanted to thank you for posting the pictures and stories about Whiskey. I lost my dear old girl almost two years ago at about the same age, and still miss her very much. Somehow, it comforts me to see the story of another full and happy pet relationship. She looks like a wonderful gal, and I know how much she meant to you - sorry for your loss.

    I look forward to reading the rest of the blog.

    -Stan

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  2. Stan...Thank you for stopping by and taking the time to make a comment. Your kinds words mean so much. It is hard to lost a pet that you have had for so long and who has given you nothing but love their entire life. We will always miss her but will have many happy memories of her.

    Kevin and Ruth

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  3. Just had to leave a comment with my sincere condolences on the loss of beautiful Whiskey! Pets truly to do become family members and when they pass they leave a huge hole in our hearts and lives. She looks like a sweet girl. She was lucky to have you, and vice versa, for so long. Continue to enjoy your adventures even without your faithful companion.....best of luck.

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  4. Susan...Thank you very much for having such kind things to say about Whiskey. She really was part of the family and we do miss her terribly but we know that she had a good life and was loved comepletely and she in return gave us much love and and companionship.
    Thank you for taking the time to leave a message and hope you will enjoy our travels.

    Kevin and Ruth

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  5. well, I just had to meet whiskey".
    So very sorry for your loss. I have lost dogs and is very painfull. 15 is a fair life and you gave her the best!! I tried to contact you privatley but could not see the source. My husband and I live about 40 min. N. of where you are now in La Manza. You would be welcome here.

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  6. Thank you so much for your wonderful comment. We have certainly been missing her these last couple of months but we knew that her time was limited. She did have a good life and enjoyed every minute of it and so did we.

    Thank you also for offering us a place to stay but we are heading south from here, if we are ever back in the area we'll remember the offer.

    If you want to contact us privately there is a "click here" on the left side bar to email us.

    Kevin and Ruth

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  7. Kevin and Ruth, I'm so sorry for your loss, but it looks like Whiskey lived a beautiful and healthy life, she was so lucky to have you as companions! I hope the road hasn't been lonely without her, and I look forward to reading about your amazing adventures!

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    1. Thank you very much Andrea. She did live a great life and we do miss her terribly. In our travels this past year we have had many opportunities to enjoy other people's dogs, so we have been able to get our doggy fix and this helps to fill the void with us that she left.

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  8. That is so awesome that you shared your Whiskey with all of us. We lost our Shotzie about 3 yrs ago and we miss her to this day. When she died at age 16, we had her cremated and still have her ashes. When we go full-timing within the next year, she is going with us. She would have loved full-timing, she was a GREAT traveler!! So we are taking her with us. :) <3

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    1. Whiskey was a big part of our lives and she loved traveling in the motorhome and visiting all the different places we explored, so this was our tribute to her.
      Sorry for the loss of your Shotzie but it sounds like she had a good long life as well. Enjoy your journey when you hit the road.

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  9. Nice to see your puppy!!! What a sweetie!!

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    1. Thank you Nancy and Larry, she was a sweetheart and we loved traveling with her.

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  10. Losing you beloved dog is one of the toughest experiences in life, especially when s/he is around you 24/7 (we work from home and took our pups everywhere with us). Whiskey sure had a good and long life. She is probably running on the beach, chasing sticks and being adventurous on the other side of the rainbow with our dogs Kali and Darwin! I am happy to meet her virtually. :-)

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    1. Losing Whiskey was like losing an actual person in our family. It was definitely a sad day and it took quite a long time to get used to not having her there. It is hard to believe but this month will be our 6th year without her. I certainly hope that she has met up with Kali and Darwin and that they are having a great time together. Thank you for taking to read about her and to leave a thoughtful comment.

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  11. I am a dog person researching full time rving and ran across your set via a FB comment. I love the fact that Whiskey has been gone so long and you still have this tribute to her up. I lost my little cocker spaniel, Buddy, in 2007. He was like the son I never had. I have a shadow box on the wall with pictures, his favorite toy, his collar, and a piece of his blanket. People who have never felt what we feel for our dogs don't understand it and think we are a little strange. But I don't care. I get it and I see that you get it. That love never dies. ❤️

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    1. Whiskey was a wonderful traveling companion and a big part of our family and she will always have a spot in our heart that time will never erase, so I expect that her page will remain here as long as we are here. We didn't keep anything of hers with us other than pictures. When she passed away we were in Mexico and that is where she is buried. On the site that we buried her we planted a beautiful bottle brush tree that has grown quite big over the last 6 years. We try if we can to visit her and her tree when we are in that part of Mexico. With any luck we will hopefully see her this winter.

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  12. Just read this blog about Whiskey and was very touched by it. I was forced to give away our German Shepherd/Husky pet at 4 yrs old due to my marriage breakdown 20 yrs ago. I was so heartbroken then and still miss JB...I swore not to have another pet again! My eldest daughter has a pug who is now 14 yrs old and I get my fix whenever she visits.

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    1. Even to this day we still miss Whiskey and on our travels through Mexico we are constantly reminded of her.

      With having seven dogs on this caravan trip, we are always getting our much needed doggie fix! :-)

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  13. You brought me to tears, what a smart sweet dog she was! I lost a beloved Papillion at age 3 so I understand the loss. I did get another Pap and although he has had a few issues, at age 8 he is my "punk" (he says Punkin is too effeminate) and partner. I hope someday you folks will find another punk.

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    1. Thank you for the kind words Linda. She was a wonderful little dog and gave us lots of good memories. Right now we are at a stage in our lives where we aren't looking for another dog. We like to do lots of travel and some of it is in other countries so it just isn't a good time for us but we love enjoying other people's dogs, and making a lot of fuss over them.

      I am glad that you have found a good companion to keep you company and give you lots of enjoyment.

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    2. We too have our 6 year old dog and yes they do bring alot of joy to us.. but when travelling its like having a toddler, you do need to be more tied down with them

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    3. When we traveled with our dog in the RV, we never felt that she held us back very much. She normally came with us most places and when she couldn't she was always happy to stay back in the RV. The only time it really presented itself as a problem was if the weather was too hot to let her stay behind. We miss her dearly but now with the type of traveling we like to do, it is just easier not to have a dog and just enjoy everyone else's dogs.

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  14. Love to read of your travels! Enjoy the dogs of the world LOL.

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    1. Thank you for following along and yes, we will continue to enjoy the dogs we meet all around the world. :-)

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