She learned how to pose for me as a young pup and is shown here after riding the gondola with me to the top of Aspen Mountain when she was nine months old.

Still a young dog, and having completed her CD title with honors she joined me on numerous camping trips up the California coast, especially to Kirk Creek, just below Lucia, where she is shown below.

I truly thought Genevieve would live to be at least fifteen since she was in such good shape at 13. Her zest for life seemed endless. Walks on Summerland Beach at low tide were sometimes as long as five miles - with intermittent plunges into the ocean. For her thirteenth birthday I got her a life vest, and then for Christmas a ramp to make getting in and out of the car easier.

Genevieve always loved the snow and she joined me on a short ski trip to Mammoth in mid-May of 2005. She frolicked in the snow on Mammoth Mountain to the amusement of many skiers. Below she rests after a dip into Convict Lake to cool off.

It's hard to imagine that only six weeks later she would be gone. Although she had shown some signs of of illness and had X-rays and complete blood work done - a diagnosis of cancer was not made until the last day of her life when it was quite clear that no treatment could help her. In some ways it was merciful and fortunate for her that she never suffered - and had only one bad day in her life - her last. That in itself is a testament to her ever-present vitality Her memory will remain with me forever.

It has been very difficult to write about Genevieve, my closest friend and companion for almost 14 years. She had such a rich and active life going nearly everywhere with me. As a puppy she was exhuberant and never tired of running and swimming at the beach or in mountain lakes on our camping trips. This passion never left her and is perhaps why she lived as long and healthy a life as she did. Even days before she succumbed to cancer she was still running and chasing her tennis ball.

The Mammoth Lakes area was another of our favorite hiking and camping spots. Above, she poses overlooking Lake George on the hike to Crystal Lake. In this photo she is already almost thirteen and was still able to hike at high altitude. For many more photos of her on see my series of articles Sierra hikes with man's best friend.

Green Valley Road - near Cambria - was another one of our favorite stopping places on long spring days. This portrait was taken on our last trip there.

A trip to Mammoth was not complete without a short stop at Mono Lake (shown below) followed by lunch at Tioga Pass Deli.