Hi Greg
I am very sorry to hear of Diggety's passing.
Bucking the trend of not adopting another dog we have have a series of rescue dogs over the years. But after a suitable period of mourning we adopted another rescue. No two have been the same in character but we have loved them all.
More to add but it is time to leave for my Sunday ride.
Watch this space.

Kelly, OH YES, there were many, many good times. Thank you.

Thanks, Marilyn. Indeed, pets are special. And yes, I do think I'll be able to enjoy the trip.

Greg,

My throat feels thicker, and it's hard to swallow, reading about your beloved Diggity. There's nothing better than the unconditional love expressed in a pet's eyes. My sincere condolences. Remember the good times, there were many.

Kelly

I'm so sorry to hear about your loss, Greg. We went through that with our beloved bull mastiff dog 30 years ago and I still miss him. Pets are so special. I hope you can enjoy your bike tour. We've stopped touring for now and are currently traveling around the country in our Airstream trailer and doing day rides. It's sure a step up from tent camping!

Thanks again, Bob. Things are getting better. I'm slowly coming to terms with the little guy not hanging around with me all day. I hope the same is true for you after the loss of Oscar.

I appreciate your kind words, Haluk. And I doubt that I will ever get another pet for the same reason as you stated.

Keith, thanks for the condolences. Long live Lancelot and Diggity.

Thank you very much Kathleen. I have many photos of Diggity that show his nature, so it was hard to narrow them down to a few. Luckily this is a cycling site, so that made my job a little easier.

Yes, I also seem to be getting something in my eye a lot in the last few days. And that quote--that's one I'm going to have to record in my book of profound wisdoms. Thank you, Mark.

Hi Bill. Like you, I'm sure I'll still be remembering that day 15 years from now. Well, probably forever.

Thank you for the message, Kathleen. Also, I compliment you on your fine taste in Youtube videos.

True, Scott. I've long dreaded the day when we might have to put Diggity down, but I always assured myself that a merciful end would ease the sadness. Nope.

Greg, I’ll express my sadness again for your loss. The pics and videos sure capture what a great companion Diggity was. I have no doubt that this tour will help in processing the grief, and I’m truly looking forward to following along.

As a cat person I want to chime in. It's been over 10 years since we had to have our 15 years old cat euthanized, we never forget the last moments with her at the vet's, kissing and saying goodbye to her.

We never dared to have another pet after her, because we knew we couldn't handle another goodbye like that.

We are equally fond of dogs but we have never had one. Still can empathize with you.

Anyway, best of luck with your new tour. I'm looking forward to read your excellent writings.

Tailwinds.