Episode 25: In Memoriam

It certainly has been a challenging summer at our house here on the Salmon River, for many reasons.  The toughest task by far has been saying goodbye to our older dog Cassie as she left this life after contracting lymphoma.  When I remembered that my very first blog post featured her on our snowy driveway (titled "Cassie Contemplates the Winter Woods"), I found my way to inspiration for today's post:  the image "Fall Came Early" also features Cassie, happily trotting along the airport runway road, with cottonwoods in full yellow-gold glory.  We are just about at that point in the fall transition this year, so it feels fitting and sweet to honor her here.Cassie was a rescue dog we adopted in 2013 from the shelter in Fairbanks.She'd had a tough time, tied to her doghouse and abandoned with eight new puppies.  By the time they were discovered, the pups were roly-poly and doing fine, but Cassie was skin and bones. We initially went to the shelter for one of the puppies, but one look at the mom-dog and Spouse says - We've got to take her, too.  Therein began our life as a pack of four, full of love and adventures.The autumn season and falling leaves pictured here signal the end of the growing season and preparation for the coming winter, when energy turns inward and the world appears to sleep.  Titling this image "Fall Came Early" I call attention to the dog's progress on the curve of the road.  She is coming towards us, as Fall is coming towards us, gently but insistently, tail up and ready for what's next.  The wheel of the year turns another notch.  Somehow, it is comforting to put our loss on the wheel and watch it spin on its way.  Cassie will be remembered for the loving companion she was and the joy we shared together.