The Legend of Barry Jenkins

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Renonvsparky

Post   » Thu Mar 04, 2021 11:25 pm


Got a card from BJ's vet clinic today. Normally it's just a kind gesture they do and it's a generic thing that they stuff into an envelope and send to the owner of a pet that passes on. This one was pretty special because everyone who works there put down some kind words and signed it. Apparently BJ made a really big impression when he spent the day there getting his x-ray done. They don't get many guinea pigs in since there's just been one vet who can treat them up until Dr Waller came on board a few months ago. So when they do get one, especially when it's for the whole day, they all get a chance to hold it. You've seen what a cuddler BJ was. It's my guess that they all got to experience it, which is why he made such a big impression. His being unique with his red eyes and albino white coat probably had something to do with it too. I was quite moved by the card and it even brought a smile to my face.

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daisymay
Supporter 2016-2021

Post   » Fri Mar 05, 2021 12:26 am


Bet BJ is smiling too. BJ is chuckling knowing he smooched all the nurses at the vet and you didn't know. A real ladies pig! So glad your vet took the time to send you a personlised card. Makes it nicer when it has that personalised touch.

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ItsaZoo
Supporter in 2023

Post   » Fri Mar 05, 2021 12:32 am


That's so nice! Some pets make a huge impression on the vets and techs and they feel that loss. I've had such nice cards, and even ink paw prints and paw imprints in clay given to us from vets after we've had to say goodbye to a dog or cat. Such a caring gesture.

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Renonvsparky

Post   » Sun Feb 20, 2022 3:16 pm


Today is Barry Jenkins day. He left us one year ago today. We still miss him as much as the day we had to send him to the Rainbow Bridge. I look through my old photos often when I get bored and when I come across the ones I have of him, it brings a smile to my face.

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As much as he liked to be around the other pigs (even though they didn't always share his sentiment), I bet he would have loved the babies. He was such a gentle giant. His legend lives on forever in our hearts. Rest well Big Guy.

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Bookfan
For the Love of Pigs

Post   » Sun Feb 20, 2022 3:49 pm


What a sweet face. He lives on in your memory.

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ItsaZoo
Supporter in 2023

Post   » Sun Feb 20, 2022 4:03 pm


What a sweetheart. He looks so content all snuggled up. I love to see them relaxing without a care in the world.

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Renonvsparky

Post   » Mon Feb 20, 2023 2:30 pm


My, how time flies. It's already been another year and the second since Barry Jenkins made his trip to the green pastures over the rainbow bridge. I miss his warmth, his pearl white fur and beautiful red eyes every day. He was such a large guinea pig and his sweet disposition made him a gentle giant. I had just lost Scruffy when I was set to be in New York for the holidays and wasn't in a position to get a new guinea pig, but I knew BJ was up for adoption with his cage buddy and had been there for several weeks. I used to check on the guinea pigs there at least weekly and I felt terrible for him because he had to be separated and his buddy got adopted. The day before I left for 2 weeks, I decided that I would adopt him if he was there when I got back

I still remember the feeling of excitement I had when I walked into the Humane Society a couple of weeks later and he was still there. That's how I knew it was meant to be. I also remember the staff cheering for him as he left with me. He had a case of mites, but that didn't stop us from forming a strong bond fairly easily as we made quick work of curing them. He was already over 5 years old, but otherwise in pretty good shape despite having a little bit of a rough life and a long stay at the shelter and a cage buddy he didn't get along with very well. I gave him a great home and lots of love in the twilight of his life. I feel honored to have been able to wipe away all of the pain from his past and to let him live his last year in the lap of luxury.

I'm always on the lookout for another PEW like BJ, but they seem to be pretty rare, at least at the shelters. In the meantime, I have Zachary Binks, who is a lot like BJ in the fact that he's nearly as large and every bit as sweet as he was. Rest well my gentle giant until we are together again. I will miss you always. Remember BJ today.
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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Mon Feb 20, 2023 5:09 pm


Some guinea pigs live on in our memories it seems forever. I'm glad he was part of your life and I bet he was too.

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ItsaZoo
Supporter in 2023

Post   » Tue Feb 21, 2023 12:39 am


Such a nice memory. He looks like a laid-back kind of guy.

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daisymay
Supporter 2016-2021

Post   » Tue Feb 21, 2023 1:17 am


I treasure all my memories of my babies and remember what made them so special to me. BJ knew he had found happiness and love when he found you! I bet he left you with a smile on his face and he is telling all at the bridge how lucky he became having you as his slave. I think of Jessie and nearly 9 years has passed. Like you not a day goes by I don't think of them all! They are special in their own way!

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Renonvsparky

Post   » Fri Sep 08, 2023 1:50 am


I've been really sick this last week. Bad enough to where I was out of it for two straight days. Also bad enough to where my wife had to take care of the guinea pigs for me. I have allergies that have been making my Barrett's Disease worse. So the VA in their infinite wisdom decided to prescribe the antihistamine Cetrizine. I took one pill at bedtime on Monday and that's what wiped me out. The list of side effects is pretty long and I have the worst of them. Today is Thursday and it's the first day I've been able to get around at all. It feels almost as bad as when I had COVID. I'll never take that again.

Being down and feeling like this made me think a lot about my past guinea pigs. So much that I've been going back and reading through their chronicles. It's been an emotional rollercoaster as I remembered their ordeals. Getting Scruffy through that awful bowel infection only to lose him so suddenly 10 months later really crushed me. Then there's BJ and his passing, which was no easier to handle. On the heels of that was my poor little Oreo Cookie. Out of those 3, Oreo is the one I wish I could do over again. That's because he didn't fancy being held and cuddled. I wonder if he would have taken to it if I had held him more. Sammy is by far the hardest and most regretful. Poor vet care was a direct cause of his passing. A proper exam with X-rays by a knowledgeable vet would have saved his life. He was plenty strong enough to survive bladder stone removal and most likely would have lived a lot longer. I'm still very sickened by the whole thing.

Ruffles was pretty much the same thing. I just hate the fact that I learned the hard way with her how to handle bloat. It's of little consolation that because of her I was able to help her sister, Muffin. Don't get me wrong; I am grateful that I was able to save her. It should not have cost Ruffles her life to gain the knowledge. Again, better vet care would have made a difference. It's insult to injury that I sat all day at a vet on a Saturday walk in clinic for nothing. I lost her anyway because they had no idea how to diagnose and treat guinea pigs despite thinking they did. That ought to be a crime. Buttercup was pretty much gone when I got home from my parents funeral on a Sunday. No idea what was wrong with her and it'll haunt me for the rest of my life. Zachary Binks went so quickly that there wasn't time to do anything for him. I discovered that there was a problem, made a vet appointment for the same day and he passed during the exam. What bothers me most is that he came to us and brought healing from Mr Bubble's passing only to be taken away soon after.

Speaking of Mr Bubbles, he's the only guinea pig I've lost whose passing left me without regrets over how he went. It hurts even to this day and always will, but I get some relief in the fact he passed so peacefully and with no regrets or second guessing how I cared for him.The good thing about reading about each one is that they all end on a positive note and fond memories of each one.

Scruffy, BJ and Oreo all passed away in Reno and the crematory used different runs than they do here. They gave certificates, but no name plate to go on the urn. I recently rectified that. The urns are too small for anything else but the name plaque to fit on them, but I put their pictures in the frame with their certificate of cremation. I think of the pigs I've lost every day and I talk to them a lot. I miss each one more than the others at different times, depending on what I'm dealing with at the time. Severe long term sickness like what I'm dealing with now is parallel to what BJ went through, so right now I'm really missing the Big Guy. I sure could use some BJ snuggles about now. It'll pass and posting on his chronicle helps.

I took photos of the 3 previously unmarked urns

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Here's BJ's. It was supposed to be two lines, but it kinda has character like it is, so I went with it.

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Here's Oreo. Notice that I changed the picture in the frame to one that you can see him better in.

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And Scruffy. Notice the newly added photo of him getting his chin rubbed under his certificate frame. I've been thinking about swapping it out with the one in the frame, but I'm not sure if I will because that one is of him grazing outside, which was his favorite thing to do.

It's coming up on the one year anniversary of Mr Bubbles passing in about a month, followed by the rest of them. Things are tough, but I have my remaining guinea pigs to care for and they have a way of giving me joy and comfort when I'm down. I've told everyone that when I die, I want all of their urns buried with me. I left the decision on what to do with my remains to my wife. If it makes her happy to have my ashes in an urn on her mantle, then I want the guinea pig ashes with me. Otherwise, the urns will go in the coffin with me.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Fri Sep 08, 2023 10:10 pm


So sorry you have been ill. I know how hard you work despite medical issues. Not fair when a medication's side effects put you out of action!

I hear the love you have for each of your guinea pigs. Along with some regret. Hoping the good memories soften that regret and you can accept that you did the best you could and gave each of them a wonderful life.

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