That'll do, Bear, that'll do

On December 16, I lost my beloved aussie, Bear. He was somewhere between 13 and 15 years old, I think, and he'd been struggling with renal failure for a few months.

I adopted Bear in 1999 from the Vancouver SPCA. Over the next 10+ years, we went on all kinds of crazy adventures, including two trips to the AAC Agility Nationals, weekly visits to see the sheep at Rose and Bruce's lovely Keepmore Farms, as well as competing in flying disc and musical freestyle.

But most importantly, he was my buddy, my sensible dog who paved the way for the (not so sensible) parade of collies that now live with me. He was my rock and he changed my life. May everyone have a true and faithful companion like Bear just once in your lifetime.

I made a video about our lives together. I miss you, Mr. Muffin. See you on the other side.