It was only last Monday that our boxer, Boo, showed signs of not being well.  She didn’t want to eat or go out for a walk.  She started coughing, was listless and subdued, and her breathing was shallow.  We took her to the vet. She had a high temperature, and her heart was racing.  They kept her in at the vets for three nights, on a drip for fluids, antibiotics and heart medicines.  She stabilised and was back with us for two nights, but she slept and was struggling.  Boo returned to visit the vet on Saturday morning, and we discovered that her heart rate and temperature were up again.  After an X-ray, a suspected growth was discovered in her heart.  At least we had a diagnosis, but knew that there was no cure, and it was just a matter of time.  We were given some steroids in the hope that this might slow the disease down and provide us with time.  However, last night, exactly a week since she became ill, she succumbed.  Once again, Dalriada Vets have been fantastic.  Alison, Justine, Emma, and especially Catriona, who had to cope with me sobbing in the surgery.  Kindness and humanity are timeless.

            The shock and speed of events have been overwhelming.  Sue and I have been coming to terms with losing Mabel in July.  Boo was blossoming as the lone star attraction waiting to greet our guests at Powdermills B&B.  She loved to walk the visitors round the grounds, playing her peculiar form of fetch, where the human gets the ball, and the dog retains it.  ‘Drop’ was never a command that she mastered, probably because her native language was Italian.  She was a dog of the highest European pedigree, had a Russian father and an Italian mother.  She had a gentle temperament, although she was a ‘fearty’ and would never lead from the front.

            She was a tactile dog who wanted to cuddle you on her terms: leaning on you or pretending to be a lapdog, unlike the lithe and agile Mabel, Boo was a tank of muscle.  My friend Derek discovered that last month.  Boo decided that she wanted to cuddle with Derek on the couch while we were watching TV.  It was quite an honour, although whether Derek appreciated the snoring and associated smells is open to question.

            Boo was only seven, taken too early even for short-lived boxers.  I’ve lost my ever-eager gardening assistant who imagined she was helping when she destroyed a pile of leaves recently swept up, my shadow and companion. Boo has left a life full of anecdotes and wonderful memories for Sue and me, our family, and the guests at Powdermills. Time does move too fast, and it’s at times like this that we should stop, take stock of those around us, and slow down to appreciate the good things in life.  It could be lost and gone in a flash.

            Farewell, my beautiful Boo, we love you.

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Alongside literature, she is deeply committed to discussing women’s mental and sexual health, topics that often remain unseen but are vital to well-being. Through her words, she hopes to carve a safe and inspiring space where empathy, curiosity, and passion for life bloom in every written sentence. Every manuscript is a brave step forward, deepening her dedication to authentic storytelling and social awareness.

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Growing up in the city of Inverness, there was always something interesting happening, as is the type with cities. Between various events he’s attended with the Boy’s Brigade and working customer service jobs, he’s had opportunities to interact with all kinds of people, providing a larger scope of inspiration for situations, and characters to put into them. Outside of this, he also enjoys writing various kinds of poetry and tackling his own faulty tower of books which, at the time of writing, stands at thirty-two books that he is in the process of reading.

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