We adopted Blue and took him home from the shelter/vet on October 22nd, 2004.  He was just shy of two years old and had been abandoned at the Animal Friends of the Valley shelter up in Lake Elsinore where we lived at the time.  He had to be neutered, which is a shame because dogs with his breeding and temperment are rare, and he was a great looking dog, especially back then.  We brought him home and took Shilo out to the front yard to let them meet again and bring them into the house together.  They sniffed each other, and after a few moments, Blue tried to mount Shilo.

This epitomizes Blue; he was a lover.  His stitches weren't even dry, and Shilo wasn't exactly an open and loving dog at the time.  But Blue was equal parts charisma and optimism.  He liked to play and walk, but he also liked to cuddle and be a very large lap dog.  He loved his rides and he loved his 'brown bags' from drive-thru's, and he loved getting treats.  After we moved to Flagstaff, he loved the snow; when we moved back, he seemed to be waiting for it to snow here in San Diego.    

He was so much more than just a good dog.  When I had splitting headaches that made my mouth taste like metal, he laid on the couch with me and watched John Wayne movies.  When I was down after my Mom had passed away, he would look at me from one of his many dog beds in our house, and he would just casually flip his tail and make a thumping noise with it.  He could tell when I needed a friend, and was always willing to help me with portion control by eating half of my food. 

We said goodbye to him on January 27th, 2017, and in the past few weeks, there hasn't been a day that has passed where I haven't looked for him.  In time, I will learn to stop looking for him, but he will always be a part of me, and I would say one of the better parts of me.  Carla was resting her head on my chest the other day and mentioned that my heartbeat seemed really strong.  I told her it was Blue in there thumping his tail.  That got a good cry outof both of us, mostly because it's true. 

Rest easy Blue, I'll see you and Shilo across the Rainbow Bridge when it's my time.