Our companion has gone north with all the other elders.

Louie-(King Louie, named for the character in Jungle Book)
Feb 27th 1997-May 8th, 2010
Photo taken by Madaline Svencner
He was the biggest of the litter and jump up on the gate when I saw him saying," pick me, pick me" and I did. Had him right next to me on the drive home from Elburn IL. I remember making the long drive. He was 8 weeks old. Louie was a great family dog, the kids loved him and he love them right back so much so he would take their shoes. You see we had a trampoline in the back yard and when the kids would come over they had to take there shoes off. Now to a young choc lab that was fair game for chew toys... We had the hardest time getting them away from him...I finally took the garden hose to spray him down to drop the shoes, it was the only thing that could reach him..as he ran away and wanted you to chase him.... and of course it was always the newest whitest shoes... now all dog and dirt slobbered. Louie had his moments too when he would have a little anxiety with us leaving him alone. One time he got so frustrated he dragged the living room couch to the front door and chewed half the back off it and a cushion. I was very upset with him and said this is why so many labs are in the pound... Oh and garbage was his drug, as of the kitchen garbage can...we had to make sure he didn't get into that.. but there were times he did. Couldn't help himself.... Now the stuff that makes the ugly stuff go away... no matter what he was always there to greet you with wide eyes and a tail that could knock the heaviest object off of any surface. (lab's and their otter tails) He could caught a ball in his mouth like a pro. He really enjoyed his walks around the neighborhood and helped me stay steady in my mothering days of insanity. A walk can do wonders and bring you out of yourself and bring to the heart of the day. Oh and he was on cue with the sound of the cheese wrappers, when he heard you making you daily sandwich he was there right at your side... thing is he learned really quick that there were many of us in the homestead making sandwiches..he would sit by the phone in the kitchen just quiver his lower lip and waiting for the toss of the cheese. Early on when he was little I trained him to get the Morning paper, didn't take long for him learn that... he got really good at it and the paper was a lot dryer... but the early ones were a bit wetter and not from the rain. Every evening he would sit by Randy and get his special patting rubbing, and hug. Well there's a lot more of the little things that make life so specially to have a four legged companion but I'm not going to share that now.. or may never but it feels so good to share what I have... I'm one that will wear my feelings on my shoulder most of the time so this too will be there for a while and then I will carry it inward... The tears we have are only for the strong love he gave us and now we have a bit of a void but we will get pass this, life has her way and change will come.

Great Spirit, allow me this day to live in the sacred center.