My apprentice moves on...

Shannon,

We extend our deepest sympathy to you and your wife. We have been down that road all too many times and know the emptiness you are experiencing. The shop will never be exactly the same without Clarence but knowing he is pain free is some small comfort.

Lew

:-(

-- The significant problems we face cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them

Shannon, deepest sympathy on your loss. After reading your blog one can only say, BOTH your lives were enriched and let’s not forget 4 1/2 yrs in a dogs life is 30 in human years. He found a great friend in that 30 years. Peace be with you and your family.

-- Jeff T in Westport CT.

Thoughts and prayers sent…you have my deepest condolences. We have two rescue dogs also (one of which is my avatar—the other is a black lab), and the enrichment is definitely two-ways.

-- Living on the square...

My sympathies to you and your wife.

-- Betsy - GO BUCKS!

Shannon,

You and you wife have my deepest and most heartfelt sympathies. I know how you feel and it does leave a hole in your heart when we have to make this decision. It is one of the responsibilities that we assume when we decide to share our lives with these guys since they are with us only a for a relatively short time. But to tell the truth the pain that comes with their passing pales in comparison with the love and memories that they give to us while sharing our lives.

A book I would recommend reading, at a later time, is Marley and Me by John Grogan.

-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.

Sorry to hear it. Losing any pal that offers unconditional love, like your Clarence, is rough.
My wife and I are cat-folk, but like you have rescued our pets from the humane shelter. We like to think that our companions are extra grateful to have gotten a second chance at a happy home. When the day comes that my cat Semi (actually more of a dog-cat hybrid by way of behavior) crosses the rainbow bridge I will be hurtin’ unit.

-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.

Shannon,
I hope you and your family eventualy find peace with your loss. Our dogs give us so much and ask for so little.

Tom (& faithful friend Merlin)

-- Anybody can become a woodworker, but only a Craftsman can hide his mistakes.

Shannon,

Our deepest sympathy for you loss. As a family of rescued animals, we too are grateful for our home as Clare was. Thank you for loving him as much as you did.

Sugar (dog), Abbie (rescue dog), Allie (rescue dog), Ty (abandonded cat), and Ash (abandonded cat)

-- Adrian ..... The 11th Commandment...."Thou Shalt Not Buy A Wobble Dado"

A very well told tribute to an obviously special friend. Over the years we’ve taken in a couple strays and they seem to know that where they are is better than where they were and are quite grateful. Your story brought back memories and you have my deepest sympathy.

-- When you give someone a chance it may well be their last.

Shannon…my deepest sympathy to you and your wife….

I am a life long animal lover and dogs are top of the list for me. They give us so much joy and ask for so little in return. They are loyal and loving, and the thing that makes them the happiest is just to be near you. I have owned many dogs in my life and it never ceases to amaze me how much pleasure they bring us. I used to have a job where I was on the road all day and when I had spare time I would go to the local humane society and walk through the dog pens and pet and play with the dogs…it always broke my heart that they didn’t have anyone to love them….I felt good about giving them some love, but was always sad when I left that I couldn’t take them all home with me ( I certainly would of if I had the ability too!). Reading your story truly touched me this morning and I am not afraid to say it brought tears to my eyes. I have been in that situation too many times in my life, and there are few things harder to do in life than loose a loyal friend…your story reminded me of all those moments. It also reminded me of all the great dogs I have owned and known in my life. I have always considered my dogs (and my friends and familys dogs) to be my children, and non dog lovers just can’t seem to understand that kind of a bond that dog lovers have with their animals. It’s a cruel joke that god plays on us, bringing these wonderful animals into our lives then taking them away much too soon…but I guess thats the glass half empty view. We should all be thankful that we had the opportunity to have our lives enriched, albeit for too short of a time by these wonderful, loyal companions. Thanks for posting that blog with those great pictures…he looked like he was a great dog. Again….I am truly sorry to hear of your loss…Clarence will live on in your heart and your memories forever!

-- Women love me.....trees fear me

Shannon,

My sympathies on loosing your shop buddy. I’ve been there and it’s never easy. We definitely get attached to our pets like any other member oif the family. The only thing that helps is time. Remember all of the great time that you spent together and how much you enriched his life while you were together.

-- Mark, Webster New York, Visit my website at http://thecraftsmanspath.com

Thank you all for the kind words and for taking the time to read my tribute. Scott, I read Marley and me shortly after I lost my own yellow lab. It’s a wonderful book! Thanks again everyone for the response.

-- Check out my new blog "The Renaissance Woodworker" at www.rogersfinewoodworking.com/blog

That’s a tough ride, I feel for you.

I went through a similar situation with my bouvier, Floyd. Healthy on Saturday, and into a spiral on Sunday.

-- The only easy wood project is a fire