"Ash River's Beauty", aka, "Beauty" Born March 4, 2000   Died in the Fall of 2007 "A thing of Beauty is a joy forever..."  May 3, 2008...  Imagine the long, heavy sigh of my heart today as I learned that our Beloved Beauty passed away at the home of her adoptive family during the Fall of 2007.    Slowly I take a deep breath,  and slowly I exhale... and there it is again.  The very painful drawing in that leads to the familiar exhale of a heavy sigh, long and deep, of yet another sorrow.    And so, in memorial, I will tell you the story of  "A Thing of Beauty"... We had had Ash a few years and were overjoyed at everything he was as an Aussie,  and all that he brought to our lives as a friend.  We thought of the pain of losing him, and decided we should perhaps think about preserving his bloodline for our own benefit (for later, of course).  We began telling him that we were going to get him a "girlfriend" one day...  Beauty got her name from a scripture I knew about how God gives us "beauty for ashes".  That was what I always told him about his "girlfriend"...  Beauty for our Ash...  (I smile at this memory... but it hurts and my heart is very heavy as I remember).   That particular scripture actually states that God give us "beauty for ashes, strength for fear, gladness for mourning... and peace for despair... " .  I have been thankful for that this year. That same verse  has been the basis for the names of all our dogs...proverbs state that "a good name is rather to be chosen than great riches"... We selected names for all of our adults and babies that reflect good things about Life and the blessings that flow to us from the Hand of God.
Beauty came to us as an adolescent. She spent the first year of her life sharing a horse stall with another puppy. She never left the stall. She would spring straight up and down to see out and she became very aggressive with her food when it came to other dogs. She was terrific with us from the start, but we soon noticed that she had several annoying issues...
... She barked... AT EVERYTHING! She was terrified of loud noises, and THUNDER sent her "through the roof"...(literally)...  she trembled uncontrollably and would dig, claw, and chew her way out of crate, fence, or kennel to hide from thunder that was barely audible...	... She was very starved for attention, it was heartbreaking to see her so desperate for our affection as she would climb all over you and seem "out of her mind" tearing around you, jumping up and down in an effort to be patted or loved on...
Time and tenderness, mingled with a lot of patience,  rehabilitated most of her "issues". She never cared for livestock or much for other dogs, but  NEVER exhibited anything other than devoted lovingness and obedience to people. She  never recovered  from her fear of storms or loud noises, and we always just resigned ourselves to bringing her indoors to the comfort of a covered crate at the onset of bad weather...   She adored us.  She loved to play and her one true passion was being beneath the warmth and love of a gentle hand passing over her forehead to sooth her ears or tickle her chest.  She was silky to the touch and loved to accompany us for truck rides...	Beauty was vivacious and full of life. She  successfully reared numerous litters as a tender attentive mother. Her loving nature has presented itself time and again within the dispositions of her babies.  So many of our Ash River Families have been so blessed by the devoted love of an Ash & Beauty or Josh & Beauty baby.  Our hearts mourn her loss..  I am saddened, and heavy in my spirit about her passing.  It seems very strange that the two wonderful dogs that began this amazing journey of love have passed from us to a place where our hands cannot hold them.   I do not understand the things that this life brings to us at times.  I cannot explain the untimely presence of death, or the  wonderment of new  life.  Each are a part of the mysteries of life that come to us over the years that are given us... but I do believe that God will always give us Beauty for Ashes... and the Strength to overcome our fears.  So, too, a Gladness in our time of mourning that brings each of us the Peace that conquers despair. I thank God, from Whom every Blessing flows, Who has given us strength to negotiate the rapids of our lives and the sanctuary of places where gentle waters carry us  along this river called Life. Most  particularly today, I thank Him for having known the joy and companionship of this wonderful creature who gave of herself with devotion to those she called her own, who loved us unconditionally with great passion, and made our lives "beauty-ful". We will miss you always...
Thank you, Beauty.   All you ever seemed to want was to be loved... not too very far off from the desires of all our hearts. It is our hearts' desire that the fond memory of Beauty's singleness of purpose, and need to be loved remind all of us to be more thoughtful in our actions towards others... honoring those who deserve to be honored, and rewarding those closest to us with the fruits of our unwavering affections.  Giving without hesitation the undivided attention of our hearts and the most unselfish love we can offer..  just like our sweet Beauty, everyone wants to be someone's "top dog".	"...A thing of Beauty is a joy forever..."