dog days of winter

This month would have been Professor Jiggs's 15th birthday.


I am not much for these events, and I do not think of myself as being sentimental.  But, for some reason, Jiggs's memory has intruded on me several times.


Gloria mentioned him in a comment on Brenda's blog.


My friends, the Lockes, sent me a late Christmas card featuring their young golden retriever -- who is the spitting image of Jiggs at that age.


I saw a golden on the beach here in town that reminded me a lot of him.


I ran into a father and son pair of Irish setters that were his favorite friends.

This week, the pages of my blog with the highest number of viewings were two pages dealing with whether to bring Jiggs to Mexico with me.


And then, my friend Ron Nelson sent me a video clip from a 1981 Johnny Carson show.  The guest was Jimmy Stewart.  He had some poems to read, and ended with this. 


Let me warn you it is sentiment writ large.  But I feel it is a fitting tribute from all of us who have lost dogs who are still close to us.


And Jiggs is closer to mean that I realized.