Tyson.....A Much Loved Dog

"A dog has no use for fancy cars or big homes or designer clothes. Status symbol means nothing to him. A waterlogged stick will do just fine. A dog judges others not by their color or creed or class but by who they are inside. A dog doesn't care if you are rich or poor, educated or illiterate, clever or dull. Give him your heart and he will give you his. It was really quite simple, and yet we humans, so much wiser and more sophisticated, have always had trouble figuring out what really counts and what does not. As I wrote that farewell column to Marley, I realized it was all right there in front of us, if only we opened our eyes. Sometimes it took a dog with bad breath, worse manners, and pure intentions to help us see."
— John Grogan

Tyson Veling (Big Boy Handsome). 1998-2009.
He was a love, but only on his terms. When petting was needed he would nudge the closest hand, never mattered who. He much preferred people to other dogs. His days were spent gazing out the window, hoping for bunny sightings and avoiding the girls. On Tuesdays he would follow the gardeners from window to window just daring them to get out that maddening blower. He loved running in the nearby field, hunting quail (yes quail) and never giving up on that squirrel hole. He was terrified of thunder, and electronics.....which he related to the thunder and the power going off then on. He could sense earthquakes coming, and twice protected me from a coyote. No matter how grumpy he became, he was always a good boy. He was a great walking buddy. Never pulled. Never tugged. He was my shadow. He loved my slippers, not too chew on, simply to carry around. But perhaps my favorite thing about Tyson was his "love piles". On occassion, and especially when we were gone too long, he would collect pieces of clothing and pile them up. We always thought that the person who's clothes were chosen must have been his favorite for that particular day. There were times that he would have items from all of us. Picturing him now, rummaging through dirty and clean baskets for a little sock here or a shirt there makes me smile. These were his love piles. Not meant for chewing, just collecting. I think I will miss those the most.