Goodbye Leo

My family had to say our final goodbye to Leo, our Cocker Spaniel, last weekend. Labor Day at 5pm to be exact. He lived a long and good life. Thirteen years old. What got him in the end? Cancer. The poor little fellow had stopped eating so my dad took him in. His abdomen was retaining a lot of fluid so the vet knew it was cancer. They were going to put him down that day (last Friday) but my dad said no so I could have my final Leo visit. When Adam got home from work that day I drove down by myself for the night. 220 miles one way just to say goodbye to my beast. We adopted him when I was in 8th grade, 14 years old. Leo lived in California, Wisconsin and finally, Tennessee. His journeys also took him through Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Georgia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. That is almost half of the country! What a lucky dog. Right now his ashes are on display on the mantel in my parents' dining room. I love that his box says "Leo. Friend of Barb and Nick Hesse". He's going to be put out front of the house; mixed into potting soil in a wine barrel with flowers. That way he is keeping watch on the house and we always know exactly where he is. Here are some pictures of his life. He will be dearly missed.