I REMEMBER WHEN MY EX ROOMATE BROUGHT HOME A PUPPY, HE HAD FOUND HIM AT THE SEDONA AZ. HUMANE SOCIETY. BOY WAS HE HANDSOME! WHAT SHOULD I NAME HIM HE ASKED? I SAID IT HAS TO BE SOMETHING SPECIAL AS WAS HE! WE THREW OUT EVERY NAME IN THE BOOK, NOTHING FIT.THEN AFTER TWO HOURS WE WE'RE SITTING OUTSIDE WHEN A BIRD FLEW TO THE FEEDER. LOOK I SAID A RUFOUS SIDED TOHEE! HE SAID HUH? AND I SAID THAT'S IT HE,S A RUFOUS!IT MEANS RED OR OF REDDISH COLOR.PERFECT AS HE WAS HALF YELLOW LAB AND HALF RED QUEENSLAND HEELER.HE HAD THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS. HE LOOKED LIKE A LAB BUT HAD THE RED SPECKLES OF THE HEELER.LATER HE ALSO DEVELOPED THE "BLUE" MEARLE DOWN HIS BACK, HIS TAIL WAS STRIPED LIKE A RACOON! MY ROOMMATE MOVED OUT AND DIDN'T WANT HIM . WHICH WAS FINE WITH ME! HE HAD FALLEN IN LOVE AND SO HAD I.HE WITH AWOMAN AND ME WITH THE "FACE" THAT WAS ONE OF MANY NICKNAMES HE HAD.RUFACE,BABY BOY,RUFY,CLOWNDOG ETC.IT'S SO HARD TO DESCRIBE THE LOVE WE HAD FOR EACH OTHER.I COULD'NT GO ANYWHERE WITHOUT EVERYONE EXCLAIMING WHAT KINDA DOG IS THAT? LOOK AT THAT TAIL HE'S SO BEAUTIFUL!ICOULDN'T HAVE BEEN MORE PROUD!WE WENT EVERYWHERE TOGETHER. I REMEMBER WHEN WE WENT TO THE OCEAN HE COULD'NT UNDERSTAND WHY THE WAVES CHASED HIM! HE WAS THE SMARTEST ANIMAL I'VE EVER KNOWN, AND ALWAYS LISTENED TO ME UNLESS THERE WAS ANOTHER DOG AROUND HE JUST COULDN'T RESIST MAKING A FRIEND! HE WAS WITH ME THROUGH THE TOUGHEST OF TIMES,AND WAS TRULY A MAMA'S BOY. ONE DAY I FOUND A STRAY PUPPY AND RUFOUS LOVED HIM. HE WAS THE BEST TEACHER A PUPPY COULD HAVE.I KNOW MY DAD BROUGT HIM TO ME FROM HEAVEN 'COS HE ALWAYS WANTED A SCRUFFY DOG.I NAMED HIM MILES.I TRULY BELIEVE MY DAD KNEW I WOULD NEED MILES MORE THAN I COULD EVER KNOW. YOU SEE RUFOUS HAD LUEKIEMIA AND I DID NOT KNOW.HE STARTED TO SLOW DOWN ONE SUMMER, I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST HOT!HE STARTED TO JUMP THE FENCE AND I WOULD FIND HIM ON THE PORCH WHEN I CAME HOME. I KNOW NOW THAT WAS HIS WAY OF BEING AS CLOSE TO THE FRONT TO GREET ME. HE KNEW HIS DAYS WERE NUMBERED . THE NEIGHBORS WOULD WALK BY WITH THEIR DOGS AND HE WOULDN'T BUDGE.THEN ONE DAY HE WAS NOT SO EXCITED ABOUT GOING FOR HIS DAILY LONG HIKES WITH US.I HAD HIME TESTED FOR EVERYTHING IN THE BOOK HOPEING SOMETHING WOULD COME OUT POSITIVE SO I COULD CURE HIM .AFTER MANY TESTS THERE WAS NO HOPE,AND NOTHING I COULD DO TO SAVE HIM. THE DAY BEFORE I PUT HIM DOWN MY FRIENDS AND I DUG HIM A GRAVE IN THE BEAUTIFUL RED ROCKS THAT HE LOVED SO MUCH IT TOOK 6 HOURS TO DIG INTO THAT HARD ROCK FOR A SHALLOW GRAVE,AS HE AND MILES LOOKED ON.I LAID WITH HIM ALL NIGHT HE HAD A FEVER AND COULD'NT MOVE I CRIED ALL NIGHT,KNOWING HE WOULD BE GONE FOREVER.THE VET CAME OUT TO MY FRIENDS TRUCK AND MY DARLING,THE LOVE OF MY LIFE DIED IN MY ARMS.HE WAS ONLY 6,AND TOO BEAUTIFUL FOR THIS WORLD.WE GAVE HIM A SHAMANS BURIAL AS WAS FITTING FOR A SPECIAL SOUL.HIS SITE IS ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL SPOTS ON THE PLANET,YOU CAN'T SEE ONE MAN MADE THING FOR 360 DEGREES.FOR YEARS I COLLECTED HEART SHAPED ROCKS AND MOVED THEM FROM PLACE TO PLACE.NOW I KNOW WHY.THEY NOW COVER THE GRAVE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL DOG IN THE WORLD.WHEN I NEED TO SPEAK TO HIM I CAN VISIT AND SIT NEAR HIS GRAVE AND TALK TO HIM ,AND TELL HIM I MISS HIM SO MUCH. I KNOW HE LISTENS AND HELPS ME THROUGH GOD.I LOST COUNT OF THE HEARTS ON HIS GRAVE,THEY NUMBER 4HUNDRED PLUS AND STILL COUNTING!RUFOUS WAS AS RED AS THE STONE FROM NOW ON THAT IS HIS HOME. I MISS YOU SO MUCH AND STILL CRY EVERY DAY ,ONE AND ONE HALF YEARS LATER.MY LOVE AND MY TEARS FOR YOU WILL NEVER END.KISSES TO THE "FACE"LOVE MOMMY