Travis

Today I buried ol' Travis, a better dog you never seen, intelligent, strong, an' good natured with eyes that were wary and keen. It hurt me to lay him to rest now, an' I know I'm gonna shed tears, but I can't fault God for the takin' 'cause I shared with that dog sixteen years. I remember when I first saw Travis, just a little fur ball at the time, we both felt an instant connection, an' I knew that cowdog would be mine. I couldn't resist his free spirit, golden eyes that were so fulla care, nor could I forsee his devotion, or all the good times we would share. From the very first trip to our homestead, my pickup he claimed as his own, whenever that truck left our acres, he was goin' wherever it roamed. As a watch dog there never was better, no coyote would dare cross this land, he'd be out there barkin' an' chasin', an' run off the whole yippin' band. An' when Mr. Cougar come callin', ol' Travis would raise such a fuss, he knew not to nab the mean bugger, but would bark till it woke both of us. Ranch hands have got an' ol' sayin' 'bout workin' as hard as a dog, an' I can sure vouch for ol' Travis, he could herd cattle even in fog. His muzzle was startin' to turn gray, an' he had quite a limp t'ward the end, but whenever I'd head out to do chores, I could count on some help from my friend. Now, I ain't alone in my grievin', the wife took Trav's death pretty hard, he was also her life long companion, an' would follow her out in the yard. I know that we're both gonna miss him, this place'll seem empty an bare, I'll miss fillin' his bowl in the kitchen, an' him sleepin' right next to my chair. My throat's just plum' fulla the achin', an' I'll bust out in tears anytime, but I ain't ashamed a my feelin's, 'cause most dogs, well, they ain't worth a dime. But Travis was just somethin' special, best cowdog I ever did see, an' wherever God sends dogs when passin', that's the place where I wanna be.