Rest In Peace Olive.

Olive passed away today.



Sarah and I got Olive when we lived in Conifer Colorado, we bought her in the spring of 2009 from a breeder north of Fort Collins. She was such a tiny pup, and resembled a cocker spaniel, but she was a pure bred Golden Retriever. She was about 6 weeks old.



She was a tired and lethargic pup when we first brought her home, but that only lasted a few days. After a few days, she was a hyper, chewing, pooping pile of frustrating cuteness.







Sarah and I loved to travel with her, and we saw some beautiful country together. She made a great travel companion.

Sleeping on the way back from Moab, UT


Arches National Park


Chewing a tumbleweed in Arches National Park


Unearthing a buried frisbee at Lake McConaughy, Nebraska
which quickly became her new favorite toy


Barking enough to get us kicked out of our campsite at Yellowstone National Park


Olive and I on the north shores of Jackson Lake in Grand Teton National Park


An accidental, but awesome, photo in Dubois Wyoming


Grand Canyon National Park
(taken BEFORE she tried to run down the south rim)



She loved the Colorado snow, ever since her first snowfall in September 2009.



She loved playing with her damned Green Ball……….endlessly……



She REALLY loved to wake me up in really funny ways. These weren't posed, but she held still long enough for me to snap the pictures with my phone.





And she loved to try to give directions.



When Sarah left, she took Olive with her, on the condition that I'd have joint custody of her. I hadn't seen Olive in a few months, and was planning on asking her to bring Olive over next week for a stay, but today I got a call from Sarah.

Olive got out of the house and hit by a car.

I'm crushed, and I didn't wanna believe it at first. I still don't. I don't allow myself to really think about these things when they first happen too much, cause it's kinda hard to take.

I'm thankful that Laura was here to help me. I broke down. If I hadn't had her here to comfort me, I'd have already drank myself into oblivion.

I miss her. She was such a little doofus. I remember that she would pester house guests to no end, and love to play Stair Ball (throw a ball down the stairs, she'd throw herself down them to catch it).

I'm a weird combination of numb and on the edge right now.

Olive, you little goober. I love you more than you could've known. I'm sorry to see you go. But know that despite the fact that your family broke up, you were loved by both of us immensely. I wish I could've seen you one last time.



Rest in peace.