sweet, sweetest Swede

Swede.

The best dog ever.

Calm, gentle, sweet, obedient, dear, loved.

We said goodbye this Saturday to our beautiful, much beloved Swede.

Never will there be another dog like you, Swede.

Thank you for all the years of companionship and love.  You brought our family so much joy, and so many fun, funny, fond, good, wholesome memories.

Our food will now safely sit on counters and tables.

Our welcome party for friends and strangers alike is gone, with you not here.

Mornings are lonely without your warm, black body nearby.

There's no dancing greeting for us in the driveway a hundred times a day.

Christmas morning no longer will feature a bone being crunched and gnawed while your tail thumped an accompanying rhythm.

All those days and weekends on the dock are warm, sweet memories.  Your wading but not swimming in the water is bittersweet for us all!

The entryway is empty and we all have been sure we've heard your soft "woof" to be let in.

The squirrels, chipmunks and birds miss your quiet company; you who never once chased or thought to bark.  If we had ducks, they would miss you, too, as you never met another creature you didn't call friend.

I will never think of the color red again, without thinking of you and your leash.

Even though you walked us, not the other way around, and I grumbled the entire way around the block, walks won't be quite the same.

We miss you.

And we love you.  So much.