Duncan

I'm having a really hard time writing this and probably I'm not quite ready, but here goes...  Our crazy, fun, stupid, beloved little dog was hit and killed by a car last Wednesday.  I'm still in such shock I barely know what to do.  It's impossible to understand that Duncan will no longer be a part of our lives.  It's weird to get up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night and not have Duncan pressed against my legs.  It's weirder to see the kids' shoes in a line by the front door, all accounted for, rather than scattered around the back yard.  I'm not used to writing my middle of the night blog entries without continually having to move Duncan's head off of my keyboard or type with my elbow up to accommodate his body snuggled against mine.  The thing I've missed the most is every morning when I went to wake Logan for school, Duncan was hidden completely under the covers and would emerge all grumpy and stretching and acting like a teenage boy being forced to wake up.

Duncan had a major love/hate relationship with squirrels.  I just read somewhere that squirrels are one of the most intelligent animals and my first thought was "Pfffffffff!" but then I remembered how much fun they have taunting my dog.  I think our resident squirrels planned the entertainment portion of their day around Duncan.  The squirrels would have him leaping and trying to climb trees and barking and making a huge fool of himself while they chattered and egged him on.  Duncan also loved chasing the neighbor dog along the fence line.  He'd run and run and run and run and run, back and forth, over and over, day after day.  He was like one of those crazy distance runners who can eat anything and everything but can't keep weight on because they burn off so many calories.  Duncan enjoyed rolling in dead things and had many an unplanned bath.  In fact, his final unplanned bath was the night before he died, right before Kaylin's band concert.  We never did find what he rolled in.  LOL!  I will NEVER forget the time I had to drive an hour home from Lake Chautauqua with Duncan reeking like an 18 pound Asian carp that had been rotting in the sun for weeks.  Funny now, but at the time?  Not so much...

Dunc lived life to the fullest.  Driving with him was a blast because everyone around would smile and point at the cute little dog with his head out the window who was so obviously bursting with joy.  Duncan loved the kids and their friends and always wanted to be in the middle of the action.  He was a major cuddler.  He was always SO happy when any of us walked through the front door.  It was a nice ego boost to come home after a hard day and find Duncan so happy and excited to see me.  The little dog was a big part of our lives and we all miss him terribly.  We're a dog family and we want and need a dog in our home.  I imagine we'll get another dog sometime soon, but Duncan will never be replaced.  Duncan, we love you and will always remember and cherish our time with you.