Hi,

We live on the North shore. I feel for the South shore. Hopefully it will  stop before it gets there and hopefully it will not make it to the north shore. It is nerve racking until we get rain. Thanks for the thoughts and concern. 

I think there was a sign on the last night. I have told this story  to friends verbally and they say maybe it was a sign. I have been wanting to post it but is was hard for me to write until you asked about a sign ...

On the last night Sadie was on her bed in my room. We were both trying to sleep. 

Earlier in the day she had visitors and even though her health was bad, she was happy to see them. A couple of her doggy friends came over and  I knew she was very sick when she did not get off her bed and let them take her toys. Her health declined so fast! The night before she was still able to lie on the deck and keep watch  and the night before we went for a walk. It was hard for her to get up and before bed I assisted her to the yard but she pooped on the way and just plopped on the back porch and urinated. I let her lie there as I cleaned up, it was cool outside although still smokey from the forest fires. My neighbor, Sarah , got home form work late and messaged me that it is late and she will see Sadie in the morning. I told her she should come tonight because I was not sure how long she would make it.  

They came and Sadie was still happy to see them. They helped me move her to her bed in the bedroom and said good night. 

Her breathing was hard and neither of us were sleeping. Around midnight I put a fan in front of her and that helped a lot. As the fan cooled her,  the panting completely stopped and I fell asleep. ( I think she sleep also). About four in the morning Sadie woke me up barking and ran to the stairs as I ran after fearing she will strain her self. She stopped at the stairs and I ran upstairs. Too my surprise there was a bear on the deck trying to get in!

Living in the mountains there are lots of wild life. Hundreds of times Sadie has woke me up barking and exitedly running to my room to get  me. We go out with the flash light and most the time I do not see any thing. Although I know the scent of some animal is there. Only a few times did I see a bear or coyote on the street or walking between houses. She will usually look around with me with the flash light and when she does not see any thing she quiets down and we go back to bed.  Since I got her there has never been a bear on the deck! Most the time I did not even bother locking the doors as I knew nothing could come in with her. Since she got sick I did lock the doors. 

That night the bear must have smelled or sensed that Sadie was sick and though he could get away with some thing. He knocked off the screen door and even tore the flap off her doggie door. But some how, even in her condition,  Sadie mustered up the strength and energy to bark and wake me up and run to the stairs. She was not going to let the bear get away with it and she protected me one last time. She died three hours later. 

She was a guard dog until the end. She is missed very much. 

We did get a lot of early snow from the last storm but now most of it is melted, and we are waiting for more.  Sadie loved the snow!

..and the bears.. they broke in to my neighbors house and my house! Sadie kept them at bay for sure.

My neighbors house; the mama sent the cub in through the laundry room window and it brought food out for her and a bag of sugar!

My house - they came in through Sadies doggy door! It was closed with the plastic lid but they pushed it off. I could not believe the mama bear fit through. 

Sadie must be having a fit from the Rain Bow Bridge ! They raided the fridge and some drawers and made a mess but did not break any thing. 

I was out and when I came home, luckily, my neighbor told me he saw the bears and heard a noise at my house. We opened the front door and they came out. I have since removed the doggy door.