Memorial

Today is the funeral of a friend that I never got to meet.

She was a member of the English Shepherd Community, and for a long time I only knew her through her contributions to the English Shepherd Club, and her presence on discussion lists. This changed when I offered to paint an ornament to match a person's dog for an online auction to benefit National English Shepherd Rescue. Marcia won the ornament, and quickly talked me into painting three more for her. She wanted to have remembrances for her dogs that had already passed. I got to know her much better during the flurry of emails that passed between us while I was getting those ornaments "just right". Her love for her dogs was obvious, and she missed the three that were gone.

As I shall now miss her. Yet I know my sadness cannot compare to the pain her family has felt since the day she died in a tragic attempt to save her puppy. My thoughts and sympathies are with them, and will be for some time to come.

Goodbye my friend. I wish we had been able to meet in person. I wish I could have introduced Chandler to Keeva, and that we could have spent hours talking about dogs.