Remembering Ranger One Year Later
It's been a year now since my spoo Ranger passed at the age of 15. My family had some poodles before him growing up, but he made me a poodle person for life. He was active - he loved running with me ("jog dogging," as he knew it). He was so big, strong, and intelligent that he would rear up on his hind legs, press down on the door handle, and let himself out to patrol the front of the house. He was very conspicuous in documenting the activities of the squirrels and memorizing where they lived so he could better chase them. But he was always a perfect gentleman at the vet.
He was so emotionally aware, too. Knew exactly when his human needed him, and which spot on my shoulder to rest his head for hugs and scritches.
The sorrow has passed now. What remains are fond memories, and the knowledge that I was blessed to have him in my life for as long as I did. It's with that fondness that I'm thinking of my big ol' floof today.