(My Redding pal Lou lost a good friend last week and wrote up the following. He gave me the okay to re-post it here on the web site. Seemed like an appropriate place, what with the emphasis on animal content lately.)
Today, with a sad heart, I write to let you know that Porter, my longtime companion, has ambled off this mortal coil in search of a more comfortable couch to sleep on somewhere in that great doggie heaven where the cats are slow and the treats are plentiful. It’s still a bit of a shock to not have the ol’ gray beard around, and it really hit me today when I got home from a less-than-stellar day at work and Porter wasn’t here to offer a happy, tail-wagging greeting. Alas, time takes its toll on all of us, pets included, and I take plenty of comfort in realizing that I did get to enjoy his company for almost 14 years.
As I’m pretty sure most of you are dog people, I probably don’t need to tell you about the simple, genuine and unequivocally straightforward joys a good dog brings to the proverbial table. From his first days as a bright-eyed, 8-week-old puppy with oversized paws, through his goofy adolescence to his retirement years as a silver-haired bon vivant, Porter was just about everything a guy could want in a dog.
Of course, like all pet owners, I’m a little biased, but I’ve watched Porter interact with people over the years—from walks on the river trail, visits to the office, little jaunts around the block and even collecting him from neighbors who would corral him during one of his self-guided neighborhood tours—to know that others also saw that Porter was one of the good ones.
And to those of you who helped welcome Porter into your lives, I thank you and ask only that you join me in the wish that he continue to enjoy such love and happiness as he begins his next grand adventure. Rest in peace, buddy.