Booker first came to live with me from the Golden Retriever Rescue in the spring of 2000. He was just a puppy at about 9 months old. He was so happy on the ride to his new house, he ran all over the Jeep saying hello to every car on the street as we passed by! He loved his new house. We were instant best friends. He was always a good boy when I was gone at work. He was my constant companion thru many adventures. His little brother Finnigan came to live with us in the fall of 2000, and the three of us were as tight as any family can be.
There were problems, as there are with any family. There were some rocky times when I had to deploy the spring, summer and fall of 2001. I missed my boys terribly. I never could find the boys a good mother. Different women came into our lives, but they all went away after time. Through the years, deploying with the navy or with Blackwater, good times and bad, winter, summer, spring and fall, the three of us were always together. We moved from one house in Virginia Beach to a different house in Virginia Beach, and eventually to Moyock, NC. Where ever we went, the boys were always happy where they were, never complaining, always happy.
Booker had many different variations on his name over the years. Booker became Booker T, which evolved into BT, which became BT Cruiser, and then soon it was just "B". He loved attention, he loved being around the action. Booker T was also a blood donor several times through the years, until his 7th birthday and then he couldn't do it anymore. If I was on the couch, so was he. If I was getting ready for bed, he would get on the bed with me. If I was in the yard so was he. He was always at the door to greet me when I came home, whether I just went to the store for 10 minutes or a 4 month trip to Iraq. He was always happy to see me. He loved his snacks!!!!! He would stop by the laundry room (where I keep the snacks) and wait so patiently for his snack for being such a good boy. Booker celebrated his 9th birthday on October 27th 2008.
Last week Booker came up lame and his front leg was swollen, and Angee, my house sitter, took him to the vet. They drained the fluid and gave him some meds, and he was doing ok for a while. Two days ago he couldn't even stand, and she took him to the vet again, and they found it was a very aggressive and massive form of bone cancer. Chemo was not an option, and neither was amputation. The cancer was so aggressive that Booker was in a great deal of pain even with the medication they were giving him at the vet clinic.
My friend, my constant companion, my boy, Booker died on December 11th, 2008. He was surrounded by people who loved him and held his paw, and gently kissed him, as he went to his glory. He will be missed.

Ever Faithful, Always loving, Constant Companion
Booker T. Black
27 October 1999 -- 11 December 2008
"My body lies, yet still I roam"