My best bud was a golden retriever/lab mix. His name was Henri. When we went to the animal shelter 15 years ago, there he was in a pen with seven beagle pups and for some reason he just stood out! We picked him! Brought him home, the kids named him, and he became their constant companion. They taught him to fetch balls because they always needed an extra outfielder...his ball of choice was a tennis ball though. Never saw him without one (and sometimes two) in his mouth or next to him as he slept. As the years went by, kids went off to college he became my constant companion. One of my favorite things to do is garden. Needless to say while I would be pulling weeds or planting Henri would drop his tennis ball in my tool basket and stare at me until I threw it. He would run after it and for about five minutes he would sniff the balls' trail, tail going in circles, before he would drop it back in the basket. This would go on until I finished my gardening (sometimes for hours). I could go on with hundreds of stories about my buddy Henri. He passed away two years ago and its funny but I still miss him. I still keep one of his dirty, smelly tennis balls in my gardening basket and every once in a while I toss it. Of course I have to go fetch it these days but I do so with a smile and a tear in my eye and a happy memory of my best buddy!
