Saying Goodbye to good neighbors

One of the joys of last year's "sitting on the front porch with Gray" was our discovery of the abundance of good neighbors in our neighborhood.  Austin and Lynda were completing their medical residencies at the UA Med. Center when we met them, and they had adoptied Yogi, a golden retriever senior-dog who wasn't bothered by the new arrival of our cat.  Austin and Lynda took early morning and evening turns in walking Yogi and sometimes we matched steps on a walk.  I loved burrowing my hand into Yogi's soft red-gold fur and he seemed to like me for doing it, too.  After we bid adieu to Lia, our own senior-dog after 13 years, in February, Yogi became my surrogate-from-afar dog.  So, as their family departure drew near ( they now have new jobs in Seattle, Washington where Austin has family), I knew that saying good-bye to Yogi wouldn't be easy.  I am so grateful to Lynda, because, on her way to drop off keys to their landlord, she made time to come by with Yogi so we could say good-bye. 

Here we are:  smiling, but through my smile a piece of my heart is torn and going up the coast with this loving threesome.