Remembering Rusty

This one is for you dog lovers. Spring always reminds me of Rusty. He's been gone a long time, but don't our beloved pets always hold a special place in our hearts? To me, if ever there was a special beagle (other than Snoopy, of course) it was Rusty. What they say about beagles was true in his case--if you can get past the first year, they're great. The first year was rough. He climbed many a tree. He chewed up shoes. He had to ride with us on the motorcycle. But after that first year, what a sweet, loving soul he was! He was by my side anytime I was sick and seemed to sense the need to be extra careful with me during my pregnancy. He loved Amanda from the beginning when she first came home from the hospital and was always so protective of her. He lived until he was 16 and that's in human years. I painted this portrait of him from a photograph. He was never still enough otherwise, but fortunately I had one photograph that captured his sweet expression. I tried my best to put it on canvas.