Man's best friend - Rest in Peace Capt. Navarre

Lord, you have embraced a good friend and loving companion.
While we mourn what we have lost, we do celebrate what we had...
and in saying goodbye, we renew our pledge to love and care
for any creature you entrust to us for its time of life.
Thank you, Lord, for the joy this loved one gave us and for making it
possible for us to have made this friend's life a good one.

 

 

It has been awhile since I have felt like writing and while I don't really want to I find emotional healing in doing so. Today was one of the hardest days I have had in a very long time, I had to say goodbye to one of my best friends and guardians. Navarre wasn't just a dog he was a member of the family.

 It seems like only yesterday while on a business trip I held him for the first time. I fell in love, he was only a week old puppy sleeping on my lap and I knew it was just the beginning of a bond that would last a life time. I think the weeks between that day and the day Rebecca and I drove down to North Carolina took longer than the past 8 years have. I can remember driving home in the pouring rain with our puppy snuggling between us on the front seat of the truck and once we were close to home as I have with all our dogs we stopped and got him a burger as a welcome to the family treat!

It didn't take long for me to name Navarre the "Guardian" as he was in constant watch over the kids. He truly loved his humans but also took pride in guarding over his chickens and seemed to have a natural bond with any animal we added to our family, especially Annabeth the kitty.

I am still having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that he is gone, I keep expecting him to come into the room and start whining because Ariel waited till dark to close up the coops. Daily life will take some getting use to without him in tow. He would go out with Ariel to do her chores every day, he had to go to bed at the same time as Alex because they were roomies after all!

"He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion."  I hope that in our short time together I was truly worthy of the love and devotion he gave!

 

Navarre was always there, as I went through pictures tonight I laughed at the fact his butt or ears were in most every picture taken around our property. He was a tall handsome boy and despite his size and weight he so wanted to be a lap dog like his little brother Gabriel. He loved to snuggle and always seemed to fix what ailed you with a nuzzle of the nose or the most gentle licks you could imagine, something I could really use as I sit here staring at my computer screen.

I won't ever be able to look at a squirrel again without thinking about his extreme hatred for the gray tree rats. I think when we spoke to him we sounded like the adults in the Charlie Brown specials unless we said the word squirrel or cookie!

He was an amazing companion not only to me but to Rebecca, Ariel and especially Alex. Living out in the woods we would often send the two boys outside to get some exercise and fresh air. Navarre was the motivator for Ariel, he would beg to get into her room in the morning and if she didn't want to get up he would climb up into bed with her and hog as much room as possible.

 

 

He will live on in our memories and the impact he had on our hearts will last a lifetime. Thank you Navarre for being the amazing dog, companion, protector and friend that you were. Over the next several day, weeks, months and years we will shed many tears when thinking of you as well as smile and laugh when we think about the joy you brought us over your short yet amazing time with us here on earth.

 

 

Thank you for the joy you constantly provided, for watching over the kids and the chickens. Rest easy my friend - I love you and miss you!

 

"God will prepare everything for  our perfect happiness in heaven, and if it takes my dog being there, I believe  he'll be there." B.G.

 

I so miss you fella,
my time with you was the best,
I couldn't see you suffer,
so I had to let you rest.
The sparkle had gone from your eyes,
your tail no longer wagged,
I loved you so much my sweetheart,
I miss you and it makes me feel so sad.
But you will always walk with me,
and you will always be my fave,
I have other dogs, I love them all,
but not like I love you babe. xxx
'til we meet again,