Yesterday we said goodbye to our best friend, one of the nicest and coolest dogs in the world, Mr. BoJangles.

We adopted Bo on September 2nd 2008, which we then declared his eighth birthday.  We knew that we would only have limited time with Bo, so enjoyed every minute of the last few years.

As a guy that has never been a true dog lover, Bo made me one.  He was always right there at my side, and I learned to appreciate picking up his poop every morning with only a plastic bag between my hand and his feces.

In the summer of 2009, we embarked on Bo’s Bucket List.  This began just after we found out that Lucy was pregnant with Barbara, and consisted of a drive from Los Angeles to Chicago, stopping at every national monument so Bo could get a good sniff.

These are some of the places where Bo was able to smell and pee:

Bryce Canyon, Utah
Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
His in-laws house in Chicago
Extended family reunion in Fenton, Michigan (Here Bo humped the next-door neighbor’s dog, also named Bo)
Gary, Indiana
The Arch in St. Louis, Missouri
Kaufman Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
The State Capital in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Midland, Texas (Home of George W. and Laura Bush)
Ranger Stadium, Dallas, Texas
The Grassy Knoll at Dealey Plaza, Dallas, Texas (Where JFK was assassinated)
White Sands National Monument, New Mexico
Santa Fe National Forest
The Grand Canyon, Arizona

Since Babs was born, Bo has been the perfect gentleman, protecting her, running into her room when she wakes up, and encouraging us all to go for walks together.

About a month ago, Bo was diagnosed with glaucoma in his right eye, and he went blind in that eye within a day.  He has been taking heavy doses of medicine since, but seemed to be dealing relatively well with it.

Yesterday morning, he was sitting at our feet when Lucy and I were looking over the calendar, and we think he had a stroke.  After a squeal, his breathing started slowing down, as Lucy and I talked to him, and continued petting him.  Bo left the world at around eleven years old.  Lucy and I were right at his side when he moved on, and Babs was taking a nap in her bedroom.

We love you, Bo…thanks for the memories.  You’re a good boy, young man.

* You can see all the photos from Bo’s Bucket List Journey at http://facebook.com/bojanglesbucketlist