01/05/2026
Two weeks ago, I had to say goodbye to my best friend of 15 years. I have too many photos and memories that I still wanted to share, hence this post. Scruffy was, and still will be, my entire world. We did everything together, and I tried my best to share every moment of my life with her. I brought her along on family vacations, ate in the car or picnicked instead of dining in to spend that extra time with her, and often chose to stay home so I could simply be with her.
Since everything happened so suddenly, I am grateful that I never had to watch her grow old and slow down. Still, I can now see that even those moments would have been a blessing. At 15 years old, she never lost her stride. Nothing made me happier than taking her on long walks and seeing how well she did. Even at her age, she could keep going for hours and even conquer over 1,000 feet elevation gain hikes. Nothing made me happier, and although she probably had no idea what I was saying, I truly was proud of her each time I said it.
Looking through pictures has helped remind me of some of the moments we shared together that I hold closest to my heart, such as:
Taking you up a Gondola at Stowe Mountain
Playing catch with snowballs
Having you on a sailboat with us in Maine
Hiking up mountains, including Sunset Rock NY, Mount Kineo ME, Mount Jo NY
All the times we went kayaking with Mom
Driving up Mount Washington, NH
Taking you on a ferry in North Carolina and Delaware
Our solo trip down to Shenandoah to meet Dad, along with those adventures
You traveled so much of the East Coast, reaching as far north as Maine and as far South as North Carolina. I wish we would have had the time together to fulfill our plans to take you down to Florida this winter.
I hope when you look back on your life, you are happy with all that you got to see and accomplish. I am so proud of you pup.
I love you so much and this goodbye won’t last forever. I can’t wait to see you again.