Let us pause for a moment

Sad day. Yesterday we had to say goodbye to our dog, Charlie. Even in the end he was still eager to please, full of kisses, and happy to see his friends, both human and feline, in spite of his pain and poor health. He brought a lot of joy and happiness to our lives and was quick to share his affection with anyone who wanted some love. For over fifteen years, he shared our lives as well as our leftovers. I feel very lucky that we found that little black border collie/flat coated retriever mix puppy at the Marin Humane Society on that sunny day in the Fall of 1991.

When Jim came along, Charlie's life was complete. He love my mother, my stepfather, and me, but Jim was #1 in his book. Jim would come home and Charlie would run to the top of the stairs and wait to cover him with kisses and plant his nose in Jim's crotch. It was great to see them both so happy. Charlie adored our cats, and even let Dizzy groom him and eat out of his food bowl; (Dizzy would simply nuzzle Charlie out of the way.) Angus would let Charlie play with him, when the kitties were tussling around the living room.

We'll miss that black dog who could do the hula, dig for gophers, chase pigeons, and sing "Home on the Range." There will never be another dog like our Bonnie Prince Charlie. Who will eat my cheese rinds?