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dragging me behind. When he would get home, he'd preen around with that silly bandana on, just wanting everyone to notice how handsome he was while he counted the days to the next visit.

The years flew by and Tyler left for college. Chipper didn't grieve as it wasn't his nature, but we always knew that he was happy to have him home for a visit. The loud thumping of his wagging tail would always tell Tyler, "glad you're back". With Tyler away Chipper found he enjoyed having more time with mom and dad. He loved to travel. The words "ride" and "trip" got that tail of his playing double-time. He loved exploring and hiking. It only took him about one minute to learn if the leash came out, it was hiking time!

We decided Chipper must have some form of dyslexia. When we said, "Come", he would go. When we said, "In", he'd head to his playground. When he came out of the pen, we'd say "go for a walk'. He'd look back and forth between the house and our path. Nine out of ten times, he'd ponder a minute and then head for the house. We, soon, nicknamed him "The Contrarian".

He always wanted a "belly rub", so he lay in anticipation on his back with his tail thumping. A quick pass over with a foot would do. He never required much, just asked for a little. Chipper was also known as "our upside down dog".

We adopted Chipper to get Tyler a friend, but Chipper became family to all of us. His happiness was contagious. He started the day with joy and ended it with thankfulness. His tail and eyes always seemed to say, "Thank you for all you do and say". He taught us so much about living, loving, and being thankful in all circumstance.

One recent Sunday, Chipper was sick and very lethargic. He still managed to thump that sweet tail ever now and again, but soon those brown eyes were telling us what his tail would not. Nor was my heart ready to read their words. I kept telling myself that he just had a virus, but early the next morning I prepared to let a vet from an emergency animal hospital look at him since our vet was closed for Memorial Day.

Chipper's short little legs had always made our kind of running impossible. He always ran as if bouncing or floating while his ears flapped in the breeze. He did that for us on his last day as we coaxed him up to go to the vet. It was his last gift to us. As lethargic as he was and with energy he did not have, he walked/ran that path with those ears flapping, just to give us a little hope or a lasting memory.

We arrived at the vet and too soon

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