Vern's cutie-boy...

OK, you were, but boy didn't you know it! You thought you were pretty funny, didn't you?! I remember how you thought goosing was the funniest joke EVER. You'd goose almost anyone for hugging. When they turned around to find out what the heck, you'd be laughing at them!

I remember how you used to posture. You'd bark and turn yourself almost into a circle. You were usually so stoic, but when it was time to play, you were quite the performer.

I remember how you'd growl and grunt and throw yourself on your back on the bed and roll around. When you were little, you used to do it on the couch, too, and dig as though you were going to reach China, then run from one end of the couch to the other.

In fact, you loved to dig, whether there was dirt or not. Do you remember the little red light, boo? You'd chase that thing anywhere and when you caught it you'd POUNCE on it. If it stayed put you'd dig and dig. I thought you were going to wear a hole in the vinyl or carpet.

Remember playing water? Your Daddy discovered that one when you were pretty young. You loved to chase the water at the end of the hose spray nozzle. You'd fight it and try to bite it. When the grass got too wet you'd start to slip and we worried about you and your knees and hips.

Remember the comedy squirrels? I can't imagine what you'd do with one if you caught it, but boy were you out to try! And that one that lived in the attic -- it used to run across the ceiling and send you and Tinkerbell after it, bouncing up and down and barking at the ceiling.

Remember your naughty streak? You knew you weren't allowed on the bedsheets, but you'd actually unmake the bed before you laid down. And when the bed was freshly washed, fluffed and made, you wanted to be the first to "de-poofify" the bed.

You were so cute when you played with your kitty. She'd taunt you and get you to chase her, then dive under a chair. You were so patient. You would lie down and wait. She'd sneak out the back and leave you whining at a chair. Then she'd reappear in the doorway across the room. You'd do a double take, then take off after her. If she let you catch her you'd move her around then put her whole head in your mouth and drool on her. She'd eventually shove you off and clean herself off. While she did, you'd start laughing and run off behind the doorway in the next room, and stand there doing the pant-laugh, and pee-pee dance. She'd saunter through the doorway and you'd jump out and pounce right next to her (Boo!). And bless her furry little heart, she loved you -- she always managed to look surprised, as though she hadn't heard 120 pounds of Rottweiler prancing in place and pant-laughing behind an open door.

Oh, and how my boy loved to swim! I remember your first swim. We said "Look, Vern -- ducks." And you were off. You got kind of far out and made us nervous, so we called your name, you turned around and saw how far you'd come and I'll never forget seeing the "oh geez!" look on your face. You let the ducks be and came back. We liked to take you swimming, because it was good exercise that didn't do damage to your knees. Good swimming holes were kinda hard to find, though. You'd play fetch in the water till you were wheezing and snorking water and we made you quit for fear you'd drown.

And when you decided it was time to play, IT WAS TIME TO PLAY!!! I'd get so engrossed in what I was doing on the computer, and you'd come and put your nose under my arm and LIFT. I'd end up at a totally different website, or with a line I needed to erase from my drawing. If I ignored you, you got stronger and more persistent. You were funny -- it was time for a puppy break!

Oh and the joy of the word "Walkies!!!!!" You knew that one, didn't you? You knew what the Park was, too.

I miss your happy smile.

Your Maffew remembers your smile, too, Boo. He was looking at your page the other day and he had to tell his roommate about you. I'd forgotten this -- Matt remembers you smiling all the time. He remembers you doing something you thought was cute, then checking, grinning from ear to ear, to see if we all agreed that it was cute. Properly encouraged, you'd do it again and again, each time checking to see if we still thought he was cutie. What a big, furry ham!