This is Max...

This is Max...

Max has literally been my best friend for the past 9 years - you may have heard about him or seen pictures or even come across his path here and there. I've been lucky enough to see him nearly every day (whether I was in the mood for it or not) and count on his boundless enthusiasm to brighten it.

Max was born in Knoxville, TN, a Golden Retriever/Irish Setter mix with 4 or 5 black-and-white splotched brothers and sisters. I have no clue why he was the only golden pup but maybe it just meant that he wanted to stand out and get everyones attention.

I've taken Max out west a couple of times, to hang out with his step-sister, Kalua, in Tucson and back east to see his cousins, Cisco and Maggie in Maryland...his favorite thing in the world is to take rides and he would literally go with me anywhere that I wanted to go as long as it was in the car. And nothing ever compared to the days that we went down to the Stones River off Percy Priest Lake. A quick 1-mile run and he'd splash into the river, jump off the dock a time or two, and chase some ducks around.

Max is truly a fixture in my life...and is always the one constant that everyone asks about whenever they haven't seen me or us in a little while. "How's Max?!" is a pretty common question to answer. There answer has never changed much over the years: "Max is fine...happy as hell and more energy than he had yesterday..." I started commenting on Max looking a little stiff in the mornings but he's never shown any grey or any signs of slowing down...

And anyone who has ever dog-sat Max will have a story about him escaping. He ran out of the front door...he ran out the back door...he made his own door...he slipped his choke collar...even the vet/kennel has a story about him bolting out the damn front door. When he was 2, he was gone for an entire day before some lady found him about 3/4 of a mile away and finally called in the evening to say she'd found him. He's always been the explorer and the scout and always the leader.

Max has no enemies in the world. He's defended his honor and let us all know that he's grumpy here and there...but otherwise, he truly lives like he was born to be your best friend for those few moments. And he loooooooves cats. Maybe he wishes he were a cat, I don't know...but he thinks that cats just flat-out rock. He'd play for hours with his old buddy, Griffin, and has tried to buddy-up with his new pal, Noel (she's not so sure, though) - it might make for a nice Disney movie, maybe...if it were up to him, he'd be sharing a strand of spaghetti with a cat...

Over the past few months, Max started an odd habit...as soon as I come home for the day, he demands that he climb up on the bed and then jump up and put his front paws on my shoulders and give me a hug! Of course, I've hugged him back...otherwise, he will pout and grunt and voice his displeasure until this little ritual has been completed. Again, this hasn't been all of his life...only in the past few months...

There are so many things about him that I could talk about and go on about but I'm sure you get the idea. I love this dog. I love this dog as much as anyone could love anything. Like I said, he has been my best friend for 9 years, my solid rock through wavering relationships, my believer when there wasn't much to believe in, the only thing that has stayed absolutely constant and dependable since I've moved to Tennessee...

Max died unexpectedly on November 10th, 2008. I can't dwell on how immense of a hole has been left with his absence...I could but I won't. In life, Max wanted to be everywhere so part of him is going to be in the Stones River, part of him will be back on the ranch in Arizona with Kalua, who we lost back in March too...and part of him will stay with me. He really was one of the best dogs in the world and easily the best dog I've ever had. I just wanted to share him with you and let you get to know him a little bit, if only in these pictures. I hope he made you smile for a few minutes like he did for me for 9 years.

I'm going to miss him.