When Dr. McCoy first saw something concerning in Alex’s X-rays, he sent her to see an oncologist. He gave her a name and address. All we knew was the office was somewhere in Baltimore. I drove to College Park to pick up Alex. About 40 minutes later, we pulled up to the University of Maryland […]
I sat down at my computer on September 1, 2022 and saw a Facebook post from Alex’s doctor. It had been more than three years since Alex passed away, but I stayed in touch. Alex admired her. So did I. She was brilliant, kind and deeply committed to her patients. I could see how much […]
Jill and I reconnected in the summer of 2018. I was visiting my parents in Wisconsin when she responded to a birthday greeting I sent earlier that week. “I see you’re in the Midwest,” she said. “Do you want to meet for lunch?” I told her I would be passing through Chicago on my way […]
No story today, just pictures—unless you subscribe to Rod Stewart’s belief that Every Picture Tells a Story. In that case, here are several stories. Over the years, the pack’s holiday celebrations included photo shoots. These are some July 4th highlights Blitz, Roxy, Kal-El and Dakota’s stories are in this blog. Click on their images to […]
I dreamed about Alex one night. It doesn’t happen as often as you might expect. Perhaps that is for the best, because the dreams always end the same way—with the realization that Alex is no longer here. She was probably on my mind because I spent that evening editing pictures from a memorial walk held […]
In 2017, I was hired to photograph a conference in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. A few weeks before the conference, Alex called. “How far is Ponte Vedra Beach from Gainesville?” I looked it up—about an hour and a half. She asked if she could tag along—and if I could extend the trip by a day […]
When Dakota was a puppy, I got a message from Kathy Salvucci. “Dakota looks like she is going down in pastern. If she is on puppy food, get her off and put her on adult food.” I didn’t understand her concern. “The pastern is between the knee and foot on the front leg. It should […]
When Alex returned from Florida, it only took a few days before her pain became uncontrollable. She was admitted to Johns Hopkins Hospital for what would become an extended stay. The pediatric oncology floor had strict rules to protect patients. At the top of the list—no animals. After a lot of pushing—and more than a […]
Roxy wasn’t supposed to be my dog. She was for my wife and kids. In fact, I was told to keep my distance. Roxy joined the family while I was on a business trip to Orlando in 2006. She was a bundle of Golden Retriever energy from day one. She loved her new family and […]
In 2016, I moved to a small townhouse in Aberdeen to start my post-child-raising life. Roxy and Blitz came with me. We kept to ourselves and really didn’t get to know the neighbors. A couple years after I moved in, I walked out of my front door and there was a man moving in two […]