11/12 Zener's memorial yard art

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Anne & Zener GA

Anne & Zener GA

Member Since 2011
Hello all in LL, it's a Zener condo! We have not yet been able to put together a memorial condo with stories of our guy and pictures. We still miss him enormously and looking at pictures is too hard. One day we will be able to, but not yet. We visited our wonderful vet, Captain Team Zener, this week for Tillie's annual checkup. She was fine, a little more arthritis in her right hip and spine, and her IBD is stable. Dental likely in Feb, but all in all, a good visit. It was a little like a family reunion but also a little bit hard to be there without our guy. Our vet has a shelf in her office for remembrances of special patients and asked us to send a picture of Z-man, which we happily did.

We had a yard sign made in 2000, after we retuned from a visit to New Zealand. The kiwis refer to parks and large natural areas as "domains". Zener loved his backyard so much, the sign was titled "Zener's domain". It weathered many winters and summers and a couple of years ago, I noticed it was in need of some new varnish and some touch up. By then, Zener was diagnosed with FD, and very sick in the beginning. I was too superstitious to remove his sign and do,the needed work. So, after he crossed the Rainbow Bridge, I took it down and did a make over. Liz posted a picture a week or so ago of me doing some work on our picnic table. The weather changed and I ended up moving into the garage to finish up. Here is the before and after shots.





We also have a lovely fountain in our backyard, with a bronze sculpture a friend cast soon after we moved to Arizona. It was become our memorial fountain. We have special Arizona river rocks made for each of our beloved kitties who have gone ahead. Zener's stone arrived this week and yesterday, his stone joined all the others and we re-hung his sign.


I'll post the stone signs shortly.

Anne
 

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Here is the memorial fountain. Our pump is out for the winter so no water is running. In the spring, when the pump is back in place and the water is running, many birds will bathe and splash in the stream as it falls into the pool below. Zener will love those birds being so close!



I leave in the morning for a medical conference in San Diego to speak as part of a Paralympic symposium, my first travels since Zener crossed the bridge. It feels very strange, like I am forgetting something, because there are no diabetes supplies and meds to prepare for MamaLizBean to be BIC. We don't miss all of that part, but we sure miss our guy immensely. :sad:

Anne
 

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Anne, it's beautiful. And I hope that the sign, and the fountain, and the stones will allow your hearts to heal to the point where the pictures will make you smile through any tears that remain.

Hugs
Carl

Let the wind carry you home.
Blackbird fly away.
May you never be broken again.

Beyond the suffering you've known
I hope you find your way
May you never be broken again.
 
Thank you for your kind words Carl, and for the lovely poem. We are doing okay, slowly, as time does her thing. Scritches to Ms Polly. cat_pet_icon
Anne
 
(((Anne and Liz))) and a few scritches to Tillie too. The yard art looks great. I like the idea of a memory fountain and I can just see Zener's spirit going after those birds in the spring. :YMHUG:

Safe travels Anne.
 
You did a fantastic job on Zener's sign, Anne

I'm sure he guided your hands and whispered in your ear while you were working...."A little more green here....a bit more black there"

Love the rock and the fountain! What a wonderful memorial!

Zener's spirit is truly home where it belongs
 
I wish I could take credit for the poem. It is a part of a song called "Blackbird" by Alter Bridge. Very powerful song, and it features the "best rock guitar solo ever", at least according to Guitar Player magazine. Those lyrics, as well as several of their other songs have gotten me thru some pretty tough times in the past year or more. I set all of the videos I've posted to their music.

Polly says thanks, and head boops to Tillie.
 
What a lovely memorial! Often I find working with my hands makes it easier to cope with things. You have made a beautiful place to remember the good time w/ Z-man in his domain.
 
Zener's memorial is absolutely beautiful, especially since I can see his handsome bright spirit shining down on it!!
 
Hi Anne, Liz, and Tillie,
Zener is certainly in his Domain! It is a beautiful memorial. I love the fountain and the stones. Every time you go out in your yard you will feel Zener's presence and you will smile.

Hugs and scritches,

Ella & Rusty

p.s. Have a good trip, Anne.
 
What a beautiful and restful spot. I can just imagine how nice it will be with the fountain running to sit quietly and remember Zener. This is a wonderful tribute to the memory of your special boy.
 
What a lovely spot to honor Zener. So very appropriate, too. I hope it continues to bring you both peace and comfort as time goes on.

Sending many hugs, and scritches to Tillie. :YMHUG: Save travel vines for Anne.
 
The memorial is beautiful! I especially love the rocks - are they etched or painted? Where did you find someone to do them?

Wishing you peace and warmth from seeing these things that are making your guy smile down on you.

Lu-Ann
 
Here is where we got our memorial rocks. We bought our first in 1995 and they are still in business.

http://www.plaquesandmore.com/arredrivmem.html

They are etched in the stone with paint in the letters. Our oldest one is from 1995 and we have never had to do anything to keep the color. They are outside in some pretty extreme weather and still look wonderful.

Anne
 
Beautiful... All of it is simply beautiful. :YMHUG: We, too, miss your big guy along with you. He'll forever be a part of this family just like the others that have gone across.
 
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