R.I.P. Avery
This is the lovely Ms. Avery, and her lovely human companion Sharon. It's a bit hard to tell in these pictures, but Avery had some truly magnificent ears. I wanted to drawn them everytime I saw her.
Although a very doggish dog--loyal, playful, good-natured, protective, tennis-ball-entranced--she had an unusual fawn-like appearance: those ears, big giant eyes, long nose, vaguely reindeerish coloring, long legs. Sometimes, in the park, playing fetch, I felt like I was watching a deer galumph after a tennis ball, which was kind of a strange and wonderful thing.
The last time I went on a walk with Avery, she lacked this vigor of her youth (I think walking around the block took fifteen or twenty minutes) but she lavished so much attention on every crevice, crack, tree, wad of gum, bush, wall, pylon and lamp post--I have never before or since witnessed anything being sniffed so thoroughly--I saw her joi de vivre was fully intact. She was a love.
Bye, darling.