Tommy: August 21, 2007 - December 27, 2018

#1 here. I said I would do a memorial post for my Tommy, but I am wondering how I can even begin to do such a thing. We had 11 years of a myriad shared experience. How does one distill all of that into a single post?

This is going to be a long, long post. Perhaps I can start with one of the first photos I took of him, on November 13, 2007, when he was 2 months old, and still with his birth family:

Learning from Auntie Madrac, two days after he arrived home:

 

His first Christmas with his pal Sen-Chan:

 

The Flying of the ears!

 

His first overseas trip, to the Lake District in England:

Playing with Sen-Chan:

 

A few days before his first birthday:

 

With his friend Pie:

 

Cultivating the world's best smile at age two:

 With one of his Boxer friends, aged two:

 Frisbee crazy at age two:

 

Snow Frisbee!

So handsome at almost three:

 

The arrival of Fernant, in February 2011:

 

Funny boy, aged three and a half:

 

Flying ears at four:

 That perfect half-smile:

Lounging on the sofa at five:

 

Tommy at five, with his Mama, Minnie

 

Christmas at five:

 

With Da Beebs:

 Ready, Set...

 With Genji:

With his buddy, Harley:

With neighbour, Damia:

Peek-A-Boo

 

 Sixth Birthday:

 

T-Shirt Tommy!

 With Fernant at six

With Sei-Chan:

Dandelion Tommy:

 

With Tama-Chan and Sei-Chan:

Shortly before his seventh birthday:

 

 Tommy's Seventh Birthday:

 

Discovering the beach at Ile de Ré:

Part of the Family:

With his friend, Gipsy:

 Being spoiled at his favourite pizza restaurant:

 Autumn Dog at seven:

Festival Dog:

 

 

Eighth Birthday:

 

Family Tommy:

The Ball!

 

Helping to hang my exhibition:

Coming in from the rain!

 

With Genji:

Autumn in the Woods

 

 

 Wet Ears:

 Golden Boy:

Christmas 2015:

 

 Throw that ball!

Hay Bale Selfie:

 

Flying Ears:

Friends!

 

 Celebrating his Ninth birthday with his Mama, Minnie:

And with me. We shared a birthday!

With Gabriel (Mr.G):

More flying ears!

 

 Dining out:

 

 The Snooze:

 

A good roll!

Come on!

The stick!

 

Windblown:

With Fernant:

 

Discovering the big city:

Our car:

 

With his sisters and niece:

 

 Tenth birthday portrait. Could anyone be more handsome?

Can you see me?

 

Shower time!

 

 

Romantic portrait:

 

Always happy:

 

And still and always, that smile:

 Tenth year snow:

 

A visit to Germany:

 

Carriage-driving in Belgium:

Tommy of the Bluebells:

 

 Visiting Le Mans:

 

Hanging with pals and neighbours Fernant and Damia:

At a family lunch:

 

Café life in Chartres:

 

Eleventh birthday at the beach with his sisters:

 

Autumn of his 11th year:

 

With Tama-Chan:

Mid-December 2018:

The day after the diagnosis:

 

 The two of us on December 22nd:

 

Christmas Day 2018:

 

Tommy's penultimate day with us:

 Tommy's final resting place is in our garden, at the foot of the Japanese cherry tree:

 Tommy was a true prince, a gentleman, sweet, funny, loving, loyal and brave. I could not have dreamed of a better companion. Thank you, my sweet boy, for 11 wonderful years.