Hello, Goodbye..

I have been thinking for quite a while of starting a blog and about just as long as to what I would blog about. This first blog is dedicated to a very special, four legged, brown eyed, golden hued dog named Noah. He spent 11 good years on this earth with my family and I and he has taken pieces of our hearts with him as we said goodbye to him today. It seems like yesterday that he was vibrant, healthy and running down our very long country drive way, keeping up with our cars as we would come and go. He never took off, a sign of his loyalty. He is in the background of all of our thoughts on every single occasion spent at my parents house. He did NOT like strangers, and he had a fearsome bark if people he didn't know showed up...and he scared the shiz out of my older brother...my brother would NOT get out of the car until someone put Noah in the basement. Ahhh the memories...those times will definitely be brought up again and again...my brother will probably always look over his shoulder waiting for that dog to creep up behind him, HA! Noah was the true definition of companion, he always wanted to be where everyone was. Birthday parties on the back deck by the pool, he was there. In the yard getting ready for a hayride, he was there close by watching. Cookouts on the side deck, yep he was right in the middle of it all...those puppy eyes begging for food. My mom is an awesome cook, so I totally don't blame him there. And my most cherished memories is of the simple times we would just sit on the porch together, him pawing my foot or his head nudging my hand to get me to rub his tummy.  I would talk to him about this and that and he would listen for as long as I would talk. He loved to love and be loved. He spent his time mainly outdoors in his element or in the basement but on occasion he would sneak upstairs and want to join us indoors and he would flash those puppy eyes again pleading for my mom to ignore the fact that he was in her sitting room where animals are not allowed. He would always win that battle. He was protective yet gentle. My parents live on 25 acres in the country so snakes, bear and all other kinds of animals are definitely lurking behind those trees and I will never forget the time I was leaving and he ran down the stairs ahead of me and as I reached the bottom he backed his body up to me growling at the unknown and would let me go a step further...God only knows what he protected me from, but everyone that knows me, knows that a spider is enough to get me screaming and running for safety. Yep, seems like yesterday...11 good years just flashed before our eyes. He will always be remembered running in the sun, his golden coat shining, ears whipped back and big brown eyes that smiled. 11 years seems like a long time but looking back it has passed in a flash. Hello, Goodbye..