Marker went to dog heaven today. I knew him for almost twelve years. He had a thing for porcupines and little female dalmations. He was a one man dog who could care less about dog cookies, but he grew into a loyal family boy who loved a juicy t-bone from the table. He was with me when I ran into a mountain lion and he accompanied David and I on one of the best runs of my life-from La Cueva to Canyon. When I first met him, his paws were stained red from the dirt at Jemez. He lived to ride in the little Ford Ranger and the Chevy and knew the sound of David's truck. He was an amazing escape artist in his youth. He crawled under the house and ate all the insulation in a thunderstorm, he peed all over our clothes in our closet while being cared for by the dogsitter and chased an elderly woman while she carried two cups of coffee in a motel parking lot. He made us really mad. But, he was our boy, our Mr. Buddy, Marker Barker. Maren said it best in the poster she made for him that hangs on our window- " I love you Marker. You are the good dog I ever had."
