I have been putting this entry off for more than a week. Our Gracie is gone. She would have been 15 years old this May and has spent more actual time with me than anyone in those 15 years. She kept me company when all the kids were off on their own, and when Mike was working in China. When we were in Mexico, and I would have one of 'those' days, she was always by me to comfort me. I remember telling a good friend that Gracie did something every day that made me smile. She always had 'limited sighting', and once I asked the vet just how much she could see and he answered, "Not much". We used to joke that Gracie had her own 'person for the blind'. You could not let your mind wander while walking with her. Like when we used to take her to go sailing with us. If we did not pay attention, she was apt to walk off the end of the dock. We got her her own life jacket so it would be easier to get her out of the water, as she was not the greatest doggie paddler around. But she was smart and could preform many doggie tricks right up until she had her doggie stroke a couple of years ago. She could do all the regular dog tricks, like sit, stay, roll over. But she would also bark when you asked her to "Say Good-nigh, Gracie", and she would growl when we would say, "Shiver me timbers". At the end she was completly blind and disoriented. She did pretty well on the last move though she never fully got the feel of the new house and you could track her progress through the rooms by listening to her bump her nose on the walls and doors. She leaves a big hole in my heart, and I will miss her. She was sweet, gentle and smart. I wish everyone could have a dog as good as Gracie. Good Night, Gracie.