Darla

Darla, Princess Darla - I called her that because she had a tendency to find comfortable, elevated spots and sit with her front paws crossed in a regal manner - left us today. She was a beautiful and intelligent soul, another oddball in our merry band of weirdos. When Mara moved in and brought Darla our best hope was that the two wouldn’t fight, Edgar being a neurotic mess and all that. Instead they were friends. Darla had confidence, and she taught a bit of that to Edgar. It’s weird to think that we brought them separately into the relationship, because I have trouble imagining them apart. At this point I think of them very much as “our” dogs. Mara made me cry this evening when we were eating dinner and I dropped a bit of food and she noted “…no one will come by and eat that…” I’ll miss that at night, too. Usually about an hour after Mara had gone to bed, I’d be at my computer and hear this sniffing and then the sound of Darla’s little feet. Step, step, stop, sniff, sniff, sniff, repeat. She could have eaten a steak her own size (not hard to find, she was tiny), and still just moments later would be patrolling for any stray crumbs. I know I’ll miss the sound of her breathing softly behind me, asleep in my reading chair while I work. I’ll miss her head in my lap on the sofa. I’ll miss her brazen curiosity (though not tracking down which neighbors she decided to visit while we panic and comb the neighborhood for her). Her mischievousness. I will not miss her shedding, but I will miss the softness of her coat. I’ll miss how she seemed somehow tough and yet fragile. We’ll miss you Darla. Always. We love you dearly.

• Merry Christmas, Happy New Year
• Mara graduated!
• Harper
• Darla
• Edgar
• Kagi
• A thing I read - 01.
• Keepin on
• My friend published a book.
• Dudley!
• Camping, and Hiking Horton's Creek.
• Savi's Workshop Experience - What it was like to build my own lightsaber.
• Thumb Butte Trail 33 - Or, Read the damn sign before you start the hike.
• Fay Canyon Trail
• Entry One
• Entry Zero