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<DIV>It's my turn to say this is the hardest thing I've ever had to write.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>On Saturday, September 27, my sweet bagle boy left us.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>He lived a well loved life for 14 years. Please visit his Dogster
page </DIV><FONT lang=0 face=Arial size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="10">
<DIV><BR><A
href="http://www.dogster.com/dogs/600703">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/600703</A><U><BR></U></DIV>
<DIV>He does have more photos on the photobook second page.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Also, he is on the 2008 DD calendar April 10, and will be July 28,
2009.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>The P in his name stands for puppy poop. Self explanatory.
Maw-Maw suggested Hunter as a name, but we all liked Roscoe, so he became
Roscoe P Hunter.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Some of the newer Drool members may not know much about him, because we
have been pretty quiet for the past year. The ole guy slowed down a lot,
snoozing mostly, and occasionally pausing during his short walks as if he forgot
where he was and what he was doing. I'm having wonderful memories of his
earlier years, however. My mother (Maw-Maw) gave me a cute Gund bear and,
in the impossible way that hounds have, Roscoe somehow got it off a shelf.
He loved that thing. Once, I put him in the backyard on a nice day,
leaving the back door open. (My neighbor told me I watched him more
closely than anyone watches a child). Suddenly I heard screams. Nearly
killing myself getting out the door, I see two college girls taking a
walk. One of them was screaming, "THAT IS THE CUTEST THING I'VE EVER
SEEN!" Roscoe was carrying around his bear in his mouth, something he did
until there was nothing left of it literally. We could go nowhere without
it. I'm not kidding. He wouldn't budge for a walk without it.
Of course, several blocks later he would drop it, leaving me to carry the
slobbery thing home.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>He would do inexplicable things, like stand with his head under the edge of
the comforter hanging off the bed, looking for all the world like an old arab
man in a Jesus movie.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>For years he was afraid to go down the stairs to the lower level of the
house. The laundry room was down there, and my baby brother had a suite of
rooms there also. When I would do laundry, Roscoe would stand at the head
of the stairs, peering down with his ears falling across his face. Once
while engrossed with the dryer, I looked up to see Roscoe standing there.
With a Twizzler in his mouth. I screamed, realizing he had gotten it from
Jon's room. I raced in there, hoping the basset destruction was not
total. It wasn't - he was only interested in the candy. He was so
proud of himself.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I could go on and on. But you all know how it is. The funny
stories. The craziness.</DIV>
<DIV>I keep realizing how much easier life will be now and already is. No
one has to hear me yell, "WHERE IS HE?" or "WHAT IS HE DOING?". I haven't
had a good night's sleep in 14 years. If I wasn't making sure the
temperature of the room wasn't one degree off - that Roscoe wasn't too hot or
too cold - then it was the little piggy snoring in my ear and hogging the
"covies". Angel, his mutt sister, will do whatever we do at whatever
time. But not Roscoe. You could set your clock by him.
Breakfast time. Dinner time. Walk time. Bed time. And he
would be indignant and irate if you veered from the schedule for any
reason. Tornado....fire....didn't matter. But I keep thinking of
that old Marilyn McCoo song:</DIV>
<DIV>One less bell to answer</DIV>
<DIV>One less egg to fry</DIV>
<DIV>One less man to pick up after</DIV>
<DIV>No more laughter</DIV>
<DIV>No more love..............</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I'd like to leave with this:</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>So this is where we part, my friend</DIV>
<DIV>and you'll run on, around the bend</DIV>
<DIV>gone from sight, but not from mind,</DIV>
<DIV>new pleasures there you'll surely find.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I will go on, I'll find the strength,</DIV>
<DIV>life measures quality, not its length.</DIV>
<DIV>One long embrace before you leave,</DIV>
<DIV>share one last look, before I grieve.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>There are others, that much is true,</DIV>
<DIV>but they be they, and they aren't you.</DIV>
<DIV>And, I, fair, impartial, or so I thought,</DIV>
<DIV>will remember well all you've taught.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Your place I'll hold, you will be missed,</DIV>
<DIV>the fur I stroked, the nose I kissed.</DIV>
<DIV>And as you journey to your final rest,</DIV>
<DIV>take with you this....I loved you best.</DIV>
<DIV>(by Jim Willis)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Becca</DIV>
<DIV>Dadslave and mutt sis Angel</DIV>
<DIV>Roscoe P Hunter ATB</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></FONT></FONT><BR><BR><BR><DIV><FONT style="color: black; font: normal 10pt ARIAL, SAN-SERIF;"><HR style="MARGIN-TOP: 10px">New <B>MapQuest Local</B> shows what's happening at your destination. Dining, Movies, Events, News & more. <A title="http://local.mapquest.com/?ncid=emlcntnew00000001" href="http://local.mapquest.com/?ncid=emlcntnew00000001" target="_blank">Try it out</A>!</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>