After taking what we thought was one last beach trip about 10 times this year, yesterday the three of us took a very real one last beach trip. We had planned to go several times over the last month, but every time the weekend came around we scratched the trip because Ziggaro just wasn't up for the ride. While I feel a little guilty that we never made it, ultimately he was always happiest at home so it was for the best. Plus, he always ate so much sand & that was the last thing he needed this month (at least that's what I'm telling myself).

Anyway, upon waking for the first time without Ziggaro kisses, I knew we needed the salt air and sea. So Mike and I got dressed and packed up for the beach. Then, we tucked Zig snugly under his softest blanket, into his favorite bed (where we had placed him hours earlier after he died) and together carried him to the truck.

We took the back roads with the windows down and the radio up as we always do. We laughed as we both stuck our noses in the air and wiggled them around as Zig would have when the farm field smell wafted through. Just before the Island, we stopped and bought overpriced, fancy-named sandwiches at the new surf shop/hippy cafe. I'd been wanting to go in there for the last year, but hadn't because we never leave Zig alone in the truck. We joked about how he was fine with it this time, but still cried.

Driving through the park there was a sika deer, which we've never seen there before, and the most ponies ever. Again, we laughed & stuck our noses in the air at the smell of manure. According to the entrance count, we were the 69th truck to drive onto the beach. Being super classy mature adults, we found this hilarious. Then as always, we drove until we could see no one, and then drove a little more.

The weather was beautiful. We parked, opened all the truck doors and sat in the backseat on either side of Zig. It was important to me that his body feel the salt air one last time, so we uncovered him. And the tears came like the crashing waves.

We kept him uncovered with the windows down while we ate lunch. This was the only time we've come to the beach that he's stayed in the truck. It was also the first time in eons we've eaten a meal without him staring at us - even when he refused to eat, he'd still beg & eat the tiny pieces we hand fed him.

The drive off the beach was pretty much the most heartbreaking thing ever. But worth it. Our one last beach trip was truly the perfect send off for our most loved friend.