A Tribute To Alfie the Dog

I walked down a remote stretch of beach on a misty weekday morning and meandered among the driftlogs at the base of a crumbling cliff. I saw something red nestled in the roots of an ancient stump and went over to investigate. What I found was a tribute to a dearly departed dog named Alfie that someone had recently created. Over the years I have encountered several of these kind of tributes (and left behind two of my own, for Ray and Sonny), but something about this one truly moved me to tears. The tennis ball. The candle. The painted rock with lyrics from a great song. I can’t say for sure. Perhaps it reminded me of my great love for my dogs and all our thousands of rambles down Oregon Coast beaches and how I walk alone these days.

Of course, the tide and storms have erased all traces of Alfie’s tribute, at least on the beach. But not in my heart. Thank you to the person who created it.