In continuation of Leroy’s obit from last night, and since perspectives of his passing shift day by day, there will probably/most likely be many more ‘Parts’ to come. Sadness unfolds sometimes bit-by-bit as time creates a sense that it’s all just a dream — yet not.

Here is a more up-to-date “Walking Leroy In The Valley” from last summer

The photograph was taken by a fellow retiree while Leroy and I were on the Black Rascal Bike Path here in Merced, a decent-sized city located near the center of California’s Central Valley. We were homeward bound from the looks of the picture — we used to go a certain distance, then turn around. We started our walks on the Path full time in December 2019, and except for a handful of days, have kept it up for more than half a decade (could be upwards of more than 1,700 individual walks!).
However, as we both grew older, the time and distance we walked have shortened — in his final days, we didn’t venture onto the Rascal but instead took a short, easy stroll through a nearby neighborhood.
As I mentioned, the photographer is retired, also a military veteran (USAF), who bikes along with another fellow military retiree along the Path — Leroy and I have run into them many, many times on our walks. Although I havene’t seen them in a while, maybe like not at all so far this year (during the winter, I’m about two/three hours behind the summer timetable when it’s then required you must get up way-early to beat the horror of the heat!), and I’m sure they stayed with their regular schedule (most people do), so I’ll probably could catch-up to them in a few weeks.

Today was my fourth day alone on the Rascal without the Leroy. I figured at first I couldn’t do it without him, but it seems to be okay so far, though, I did encounter a familiar elderly lady, who, with her husband has a couple of purebred Basset hounds. This morning she was walking by herself with only one of the Bassets — she told me both of them together is too much to handle — (Leroy is a Basset/greyhound mix, with longer legs, smaller ears, and way-less skin than a full Basset), though, I quickly received an emotional soft-slap in the re-fried brain when I caught an image of Leroy in her Basset’s face — the experience uncanny.
A sorrow shock from nowhere.
Every day same as yesterday.

Sad — maybe Linda Ronstadt sad:

Memories forever …

Photo out front is still of Leroy frolicking on a beach on California’s North Coast in 2016. Pix taken by my daughter, Hannah.