miss seeing your two slender ears pop up from various, yet mostly predictable spots around the house….. listening to be beckoned for snacks…. or love…. or both.   I miss watching you groom…. flicking your front paws first – rubbing your soft face in circles while licking your palms –   pulling one ear at a time down to clean, then cleaning your sides – and finally moving to the back feet…. stretching your tiny toes apart to get in-between.     I miss hearing the rhythmic 3-beat soft thumps … front foot, other front foot, then 2 back feet at the same time….. traversing the pine wood spans between areas of rugs, or your regular visits beneath the kitchen table to sample crumbs, or to the mouse cage out of curiosity… or the bottom of the stairs when you were feeling mischievous.   I miss the soft nudges for attention, the way you’d mouth our feet in a pre-bite warning when we would be in your way.   I miss the soft pink mouth that stood out against your dark chocolate velvety muzzle…  the way your little nose would rise and fall in gentle rhythm with each breath and the way it would speed up when you were very interested in your surroundings… or slow down and you fell into the peaceful serenity of head and cheek rubs or contented napping.  I remember how you’d flop over,  pointing your nose to the sky and then sprawling out flat in utter comfort…. how your face always looked as though you were smiling when you did this.  I will always remember how you loved Christmastime as you parked yourself under your tree…  how you looked like a graceful thoroughbred horse when you lighted over jumps…..  how you flicked your heels as you ran away whenever we imposed too much human on you.  I recall how you hated to be held, but clung to me like a scared child whenever we went to the vets.  Or,  sat completely cooperative whenever I had to cut your nails.  I loved how you would go into the bathroom and overturn the bath mats and barrel for fun….. I remember how your belly would make tiny noises whenever you drank water, and how your back twitched whenever we gave you banana.    I loved how you would always throw your bowl around and echo them together for fun whenever you wanted our attention.  How you loved to snip apple branches from our grasp in a good game of “stick” or how you learned to pick up carrots and other things and run off and hide to eat them.  I loved the warm soft feeling of your velvet coat under my palms, and that spot behind your ears as silken as baby bunny fuzz. 

But most of all…… I loved the warmth of your kisses across my cheek when you would thank me for loving you – and I  thank you for gracing me with your Spirit for as long as you did and look forward to seeing you again……… someday.  

Anyone can “own” an animal.   Only so many can truly connect with them on their level, and in turn create a bridge that transcends language and species and instinct and connects on a level of spirit that will bond for life…  and death.   Farewell, for now Radar.  And thank you.