My Friends,

With a very heavy heart today, I must tell you that my friend, companion and sleeping buddy for the last fifteen years, "Beauty," has finished her journey and left us today to wait at the Rainbow Bridge. She was only four weeks old when she came to the fence looking for food a long time ago and I tried to find her a home - I did, in our house. I have many fond memories of this little lady, and one of the most vivid is her swimming in the bayou that ran through our property with nothing but nose and tail showing. I was always afraid a gator would get her. She is the last of my Katrina canine survivors and as some of you know we and two other dogs, who have gone on, spent two days after the storm floating on my deck waiting for the water to go down.

Even though she was not a Greyhound, she had the heart of one. She and Tickles were very close and she was just getting to know Cinderella. Beauty and her best friend "Patches the Cat" were together the same amount of time and had not left each others side for the last few weeks with Patches laying right next to her cleaning Beauty's eyes and generally taking care of her. Tickles and Patches sensed what was going on this morning and that the time had come to let her go. With all the pets in my life, none have ever been loved more than Beauty, and though I will miss her more than I can say, I am so thankful we had this time together, and that I have two wonderful babies to fill this void.

Best to all,
Tony