The hardest part of loving our dogs is the inevitability of losing them one day...of having to live with only the memories of the way they looked at us, of how it felt to run our hands through their fur, and the joy we felt at watching them do the things that they loved.

In the early days and weeks of 2016, Thomas and I said goodbye to two of our girls...Scupper and Schooner...mother and daughter...and our family is forever changed. During these past few months, I've tried to write something to mark their passing and honor what they meant to us. I always admire when someone can write something that beautifully captures what a loved one meant to them. But, I just can't seem to find the words. All the words that come to me just seem too weak and small. Maybe that's fitting though. Scupper and Schooner were so different from one another and each was so unlike any dog I've ever known. They were Scupper. And, Schooner. And, they meant everything to us. That really says it all. Fair winds, my girls.

GCH* Redlion's Come Back Scupper, December 2, 2003- January 4, 2016