Very Sad News

I had a doctor's appointment in town and returned home in the afternoon. I went out to do the evening chores about 4:00, returning to the house about 5:00. I let the dogs out into their yard but noticed that Madeline was missing. I came back in and called to her, but found her dead on the kitchen floor. Whatever killed her happened quickly as I'd only been gone an hour. So today's post is in honor of sweet, smiling Madeline, a dog everyone loved:


Madeline was my niece's dog and came to me when she was about 6 years old. She's been part of my dog pack ever since. I've collected some "happy" photos of Maddie, beginning with this collection of dogs and cats on the kitchen floor pillows:

Maddie knew she belonged and was loved, making herself a regular part of the family:

In this photo, she waited with the other dogs at the top of the steps for me. I was carrying PeeWee and not as fast as they were:

She slept on the floor about half the time and on the bed about half the time:

And she was all full of smiles when I asked the dogs to pose for a hiking photo:

In this photo, we were at the end of a hike in Fort Jackson State Forest and Maddie's tongue was hanging out. But as you can see, we were almost back to the car anyway:

Daphne, Maddie and Clover loved to watch out the window as I drove along narrow, dirt lanes through state forests:

She looked to me like a miniature Lassie in this mossy hiking photo:

And this hike was along Quebec Brook, a pristine boreal forest in the Adirondacks:

And this will always be my favorite Madeline photo because of the happiness, love and trust which show on her face. This was at the St. Regis River:

Maddie often slept on my bed with Fergus, Clover and Daphne. Now, though she is buried out beneath the apple trees, I still expect to see her every time I enter a room or call the dogs. But posting this tribute to her helps me to remember her as the happy, loving dog she was: