Good Bye Charlie

There is a very dark cloud hanging over the Morrison household tonight
This afternoon we said Good Bye to our beautiful dog Charlie, a large, gentle presence in our lives for nearly 14 years.
This was a dog with so many endearing qualities.
From an early age he had the labrador's instinct to bring you a gift. In the morning the first person to rise was greeted with a shoe, a towel, anything he could carry in his mouth. If there was no "gift" in his immediate vicinity he scoured the ground floor with increasing urgency until he found an item he could carry back to you.
For years he sat at the back door of the conservatory waiting for the fox that walked through the garden every evening. As soon as the door was opened he rushed out to chase the intruder but the fox always slipped away.
Charlie seemed to touch everyone who met him, including many friends who are not usually dog lovers.
He was so gentle, so unthreatening, so keen to make friends. When he lay at the feet of visitors they could not resist the urge to pat his handsome head.
In recent months Charlie was reduced to a very slow walk around the house and the garden. He was stone deaf but you could tell the will to live was there. He loved the sense of the breeze on his face as he sniffed the air outside.
We thought we had lost him six weeks ago but he rallied miraculously.
The final deterioration was quick. At night he was looking for his treat. By morning he was still wagging his tail in his basket but he could not get up. His time was up.
Charlie had a lovely life - this is a shot of him on the beach at Turnberry. In return he gave so much joy and happiness and left countless happy memories.
A very special dog.