We said good-bye to our dear Golden Retriever, Jedi, on December 6, 2008. He was a sweet boy his whole life of nearly 15 years. He was the Palomino pony that his “mom” Kathy and his “dad” Dennis had both wanted as children. The movie “Star Wars” was the inspiration for Jedi’s name, although a librarian friend said Jedi’s name could also stand for Jedidiah which means “friend, beloved of God.” How appropriate for our faithful companion! As time went on Jedi accumulated many nicknames: Angel Boy, Bubbles, Honey, and for some reason, Mr. McGillicutty.

Jedi was a gentle, trusting soul with a comforting presence. Whenever we would come into the living room (his favorite place to hang out), he would always get up to lie down near us. It was his way of saying “I like you.” And how fun it was to talk to him.

Early on we had been warned about the amount of hair that Golden Retrievers shed. Still we were unprepared for the tumbleweeds which soon accumulated in our house. What Dennis decided to do about the problem was to save Jedi’s hair in a bag and in spring-time place the hair in a suet feeder suspended from a tree in our garden. The birds would use the hair to line their nests. We still have some of Jedi’s hair from the last few months and will put it out this Spring. The birds say thank you, Jedi. We say the same for all you gave to us.

Kathy and Dennis S.