For loyal readers that have been disappointed in not seeing anything in a while, I’ll get back to blogging soon.  Last week, I lost a best friend, my dog Woody.

I’ll tell you about it if you want to read on…

Woody was a GREAT dog.  He rarely barked, didn’t even know how to growl, and liked everyone.  I got him when he was 8 weeks old, but I saw him first when he was 4 weeks old, and I somehow knew he was going to be my pup.  Through most of his life, I spent more alone time with him than anyone else in my life.  Even though he spent a lot of time with my mother while I was working, he was purely and wholly my dog.

When I’d take Woody for walks, people would stop me to comment about how happy my dog always was.  A friend recently said something about how Woody was a quiet presence in our home.  He was very healthy his whole life.  His father was one of the top labs in the country when Woody was born, and Woody was a very good example of the Labrador Retriever breed, in looks, intelligence, health and temperament.

Last Tuesday morning, September 19, 2006, I was sleeping in the great room with him in case he needed me.  My wife and I both woke up at 4:00 am, and he started breathing oddly.  I held him on my lap, and he peacefully passed away around 4:30.  I will always be grateful to God for the gift of Woody in my life, and the gift of letting him go peacefully in his sleep of old age (that was an answered prayer).

What I know is that Woody adored me, gave me unconditional love and trust.  I loved him dearly, and miss him terribly.  Last night, I almost called out to him to go upstairs with me at bedtime before realizing he wasn’t there.  Some people would argue that he was only a dog, but he was a part of my family.

So it may be a few days before I’m really back.