HIBISCUS

When I saw this beautiful HIBISCUS in full bloom, while I was walking Angus & Scout in our neighborhood, it brought back a fond memory.
Many years ago, when we lived in Arizona, we had the same variety of
HIBISCUS.  It was very happy where it was planted, & bloomed
for a long time during the hot summer.

Imagine my chagrin when I looked outside & saw our puppy, Gibb, running around the yard with the whole bush in his mouth.  He dug it up & 
thought it was his new toy.  I was furious, & chased him around the yard,
but he was too fast for me. It was a lost cause.

 I adored that dog, forgave him, & replaced the HIBISCUS.  
Gibb was a wonderful dog, but was a digger most of his life.  When we moved to California, we set aside an area that he could dig in.

Gibb lived to be almost 13, & our whole family loved him dearly.
He died a few years after we moved to  Michigan, & we buried him in the woods behind our house.  We put a red painted bench on his grave &
I planted hostas all around it.  My husband created an oil painting of him
(SEE EXTRA) for me & we keep it in our bedroom.

A few days after he died, mu husband went on an internet search to find
a new dog of he same mix, 1/2 Border Collie & 1/2 Australian Shepherd.
This is not a common mix, but he found a horse ranch that had
puppies.  Now we have Angus & Scout who were even crazier puppies, but 
7 years later have grown to be almost as wonderful as Gibb.  

Every once in awhile I see a dog that looks like Gibb.  When that happens, I stop & feel him nearby, for for that brief moment.