I needed to take a few days before writing you that Anna has gone on.  She died on Thursday, March 3^rd about 12:30 pm.  I don’t have a lot of words, and yet I have thousands.  I have thousands more memories, pictures of days and things gone by with Anna, close at heart and spirit.  I loved her long, and I loved her deep.   Anna was golden moments, a golden friend, and cherished golden treasure.  I respected her immensely for the way she conducted her life within the realm of a human family, as well as her family clan of dogs.  Anna was gentle, calm, sweet, and knew instinctively to treat humans with the highest of those qualities in her.  

She loved to vigorously retrieve in younger days, was a sporting dog, a beauty, with  manners I relied on for the youngster pups to role model.  There were a few times Anna took herself on adventures. Her trails most often took her to the Otego Little League Field where she volunteered for outfielder positions.  This usually rewarded her with the charging of boys in uniforms and giggling children and parents in the stands, enjoying what would be a half time event in most other sports!  Yes, she did capture the ball at times.  But just like Anna, she always brought it to one of the kids, a coach or parent.  Not the type to high tail it with the ball.   Anna enjoyed field work, and had zig zag patterns that she wove on a 5 acre meadow in search of a good wood chuck hole, deer tracks, mice, moles, and cats drawn up tight only that would sprout from the brush and take off in an opposite direction. 

Anna carried her very young whelps in tow, softly in her mouth so gingerly, and repeatedly removed them from the laps of onlookers who would place them in their laps for a cuddle.  Anna was notorious for counting her pups, even lined them up and looked them over, and hopped out of her whelping box if one was a room away with an admiring, adoring Jaime, Jacqui and Joe. 

We all lost a great lady on March 3.

"Miles"

Anna was the dam of many pups; many became champions, most became champion companions and playmates, a few went on to professional careers on TV shows, some went to live with start studded celebrities,  top fashion deisigners, recording artists, and many lived right here, at home, with us.  In December, the last of Anna’s great-great-great grandlitters was born.  We have kept a little male, and will probably call him ‘MILES’, largely for all those that Anna took us down.

 Anna takes her place among the dearest, fondest, most loving memories our family’s  history owns. She will forever be a character in stories told, recalled, and passed down to future generations of our family.  We have pictures, albums, poems and short stories that each depict the golden days she shared with us. 

She lives among the most golden of fields in our hearts here at home, at Inverness Labradors. 

Rest In Peace my darling Anna.