Day 17 - Thirty Days of Thanksgiving

I am thankful for dogs. Growing up we always had a dog and usually more than one cat. But I consider myself more of a "dog person" than a "cat person".

Buffy may drive me crazy, but she's just a high-energy, always-ready-for-fun Lab. She has been a good companion for more than eight years now, and I really appreciated her in the months following Michael's passing. She was just here for me.

I also fondly remember other canine companions from years gone by:

Heidi - my childhood dog - a white and black German shepherd. She was such a good family dog.

Vanilla - all I wanted for my high school graduation gift was a new dog as we had lost Heidi to old age a few months beforehand. Vanilla was a beautiful and really smart yellow Lab mix. I think all of my family members measure the other dogs we've had since to Vanilla's high standards of temperament. She was an angel.

Colvin - the first dog I adopted once I moved into my own home. She was a Rottweiler/Lab mix. While she looked imposing, she was a gentle giant.

Taylor - a beautiful black Labrador. She was as high energy as Buffy, but not anywhere near as smart. Sweet as can be, though.

Taylor and Buffy on the Fourth of July several years ago.

Dogs have given us their absolute all. We are the center of their universe. We are the focus of their love and faith and trust. They serve us in return for scraps. It is without a doubt the best deal man has ever made. ~ Roger Caras