Bailey's Obituary

So yesterday my family's dog died. She was 12 years old; it was not entirely unexpected. Here is a recent picture. Last week, I read a story about a famous older gentleman's^† procedure for reading the newspaper, in the bathroom. He first sees who died. Next he reads the headlines - if they are about him and positive he reads the article, otherwise he skips them. As a memorial for my dog, this post is both a notice of her death and a positive article about her life.

Bailey joined the family when I was a junior in high school - our second golden retriever, a puppy. She followed my parents through three moves - living in Royersford, then Northhampton, then West Springfield, then Vancouver (Washington). A more traveled life than most dogs I would imagine, Bailey loved exploring the local nature preserves and wetlands in three states. As a young dog she was a bit of a spaz, a fact most notable by comparison to her elder companion - the extremely chill Gus. Um err, it occurs to me know that a dog's life is not punctuated by many hallmark events to recount in an obituary. She liked to eat anything that hit the floor, with a special fondness for kibble soaked in leftover bacon fat. She also enjoyed chasing squirrels and rabbits. She will be missed.

^†Extra credit if anyone can guess the older gentleman (Blythe is not allowed to play)