Wow, thank you all for the kind words, this feels like a reunion, don't ask me why since I " see" all of you here in the forums, but for some reason it feels like old times. You know, I never thought of that commercial that way, I guess for me those things are  those*&#@*&% varmits that make holes in the fields that are strategically planned to be right where the tires are going to go, and for Gus it was the challenge of the hunt and the feast was his reward, but I also like that one. If some of you might remember a picture I posted awhile back when there was a thread about our dogs tongues, Gus was laying there with his hanging out bigger than his head. That picture was taken six days before he died, he had just gotten a small one that he found in the woodpile. it took all he had to get it, and believe me, when he was in his prime, that would have been a couple second job, and at the time I wondered if I should let him, but  I knew that was him, and there was no way he was going to let me take him away from it, so I helped him. I even told the girls he might not bounce back from that so good, but I don't regret it, he just loved that, so why not. I'm glad I've helped someone get through a journey none of us wants to take, but we all know that sense of comfort we had when we all first found this place, and it's because there was someone else who had been there just like us to give us that answer, suggestion or advice we needed at the time, so why not return the favor. The one thing that has surprised me about being here is even though we have never met them, pet them , gotten a sloppy tongue on the face, when someone loses there buddy, how much we all feel the loss. Never in a million years would I have thought I would feel like I knew someones dog hundreds or thousands of miles away, but then I think hey, Gus traveled those same miles, so I'm glad you all got to know him. We'll be around, might not be as often for awhile, but thanks to all of you for sending your thoughts, its good to know you enjoyed him, even if it was only for a little while. Paws up, Spirit Gus and Dan