“Out of the ashes of the past two years – the loss, the grief, the growth, the discovery – comes the promise of hope and the light and warmth of a new life. Meet Ember. Elkhorn Mountain Southpaw’s Ember of My Heart.” December 9, 2017

4 years ago I made the longest 5 hour drive home on icy, snowy roads in the dark with a yipping, yowling bundle of joy as my co-pilot!!!  Today, I can’t imagine my life without Ember. He may not be this tiny ball of fluff anymore but he doesn’t know that. He still talks and squarks (an odd mix of squeaking and barking when we walk), his fur is soft as velvet, and he still won’t go to sleep unless he has commandeered the entirety of my arm. Ember is the first dog I have ever climbed mountains with – and I must say there is something amazing about sharing a summit view with a pup. Seeing the world through his eyes is so much more exciting.

Of the 5 Brittanies I have loved in my life – and this is hard to say because I loved them all so very much – Ember is the most gentle, loving and mindful. No, he isn’t my first like Patsy who set the bar high for her successors, he doesn’t sit on top of his doghouse like Bisken, he doesn’t come at the sound (yes sound) of cheese like Hunter, or strike a pose quite like Tucker would, but his insistence on sharing my space, his energy, his silly fear of cats, and his sheer joy of life and being loved is like none before.

With each passing day I love him even more – even as our life together grows more routine. I want to stop time.  I want his youthful energy and puppy eyes and wiggles (still at 4!!) to last forever. I want to hold on to him forever and I know I will. He brought light to the darkest time of my life and he will forever live in my heart.

Let your light so shine!!