We will miss you Taiko. 5.28.2011 (She was 12 years old)

Our smart, sweet, devoted and loving friend left us suddenly today. Fine one minute and gone the next. She had a stroke from what they can tell.

My heart and soul are stunned. How can something that ripped drywall of the walls, flooring of the floor and peed on every piece of carpet for the first two years of her life ingrain herself into my life so much that this sudden loss has me up at 4:00AM writing this tribute to her?

Just today she was laying between Joe and I as we sat on the couch, asleep but all four legs twitching in what I'm sure was hot dream state pursuit of her favorite squirrel. We had made a game of it. She was suppose to keep the squirrel from eating the bird seed we put out.

There are nose prints on every window at her level, dog hair on every surface, there wasn't a blanket or pillow in the house that wasn't hers. She'd run out the front door at lightening speed for a momentary sense of wild freedom, get excited to go for a ride in the car but shake and pant the entire time she was in the car, and she hated thunder, lightening and the flash of my camera. I couldn't even turn the camera on without her knowing it!

She knew how to do all the tricks and would perform any one of them in order to get a snack. She had our grand daughter well trained in that department.

She loved to share my spot on the couch and my side of the bed. If I wasn't in them, she was. But, she knew to move at the appropriate time without a word from me. In the mornings I would make the bed and pull her blanket up over my pillow so she wouldn't get her hair on it. I'd tuck it down and she would lay on her blanket so I could cover her up with part of it. But, no sooner would I step in to the shower she would dig up the entire set up and snuggle her way between the blankets and my pillow. This was a daily occurrence. I wish I caught it on film.

She had Joe and I more wrapped around her paw than we ever knew until today.

We will miss and always love you sweet Taiko.