Char’s Midnight “Jasper” was a Black Labrador that my husband owned before we met.
He was six years old when Steve and I married at which time we also purchased a
chocolate female Labrador we named Maggie. After an adjustment period Maggie and
Jasper became best of buddies.
Jasper was very protective of me, but also was the sweetest and gentle dog I had ever
owned.
Jasper started to get a little senile as he aged and tragically was hit by a car when he darted
to the road for an unknown reason in February of 1988.
Maggie was lost without Jasper but life went on for her and we continued in activities that
the 2 dogs had enjoyed together such as swimming at the state gamelands, car rides and
playing Frisbee. My husband is an outdoorsman and would occasionally go camping with
friends.
One weekend Steve planned a camping trip with friends and decided to take Maggie
along. Back in those days I did not like being alone at night but for some reason I felt
unusually safe that evening and slept very well, getting up only once to use the bathroom.
Maggie’s bed was kept in front of my husband’s closet door at that time and as I passed
her bed I thought I saw her shadow sleeping there on the bed.
When I returned to the bedroom to get back into bed I heard the jingling of dog tags and
said “good night Maggs”. Then as I climbed into my bed I remembered that Maggie was
not with me as she had gone camping with Steve. I looked back over to her bed and the
dark shadow was gone.
I laid in bed remembering something strange that had occurred the day before as Steve
was preparing for his camping trip. Maggie did not seem to want to sleep on her bed.
She would begin to lay down and then jump up. I couldn’t figure out what was bothering
her and she seemed a little spooked.
I truly feel that Jasper returned to watch over me while Steve and Maggie were away on
their camping trip. I had never experienced anything like this before and have never
experienced it since.
