Toby

Boola doesn't live here anymore.
No thump of tail against the wall or on the floor.

But her smile as she came to greet you on the drive,
and the memory of her sweetness is still alive.

Toby (short for Toblerone, Dad's favorite chocolate) was born on June 10, 1991. She usually answered to Boola, Boola--a nickname that her owners' grandmother coined.

Dad used to say that when he fed Toby clementine peels, she would fly around the yard. He remembers Toby swimming endlessly after our canoe on summer afternoons. When she got older, she would only swim if he did.

Toby was never in a bad mood, in spite of chronic health problems for most of her 8 and a half years. She was a good watch dog and loved to eat. She would go anywhere happily, as long as she could ride in a car. She loved her aunt Bungie. She liked all other dogs, except those on stinkin' leashes.

She died peacefully in the company of her dedicated vet on December 6, 1999. She is missed by Kim, Doug, Garrett, Kelsey, and our cat Flurry, who is still with us.