The Birthday celebration continues...

First, a note from Mommy. We join our blogging friends in celebrating the long and happy life of Dakota. Her days and years were filled with lots of fun with Thunder and Phantom. She slept peacefully each night knowing how much her Mommy and Dad loved her. And when she got weary and filled with pain, her Mommy and Daddy gently made her pain go away. We should all be treated with the same compassion as we show our beloved pets.

In the span of a handful of years, our pets go from babies with their silly antics, to our same-age companions, to senior citizens —older and probably wiser than we'll ever be. We are blessed that they share their brief lives with us. And impact our lives profoundly.

So in the spirit of celebrating those handfuls of days...we return to Rosie's birthday celebration...

After dinner and cake and romantic strolls in the garden, a roar in the sky drew our attention to the heavens. (Remember, this is Scotland in June and the sun doesn't set until after 11:00 p.m.)

It was our pal Ruby in the beautiful AireRuby. She'd painted the jet a lovely hue of rose in honor of the birthday girl.

For the next half hour, we watched an incredible aerial show over the rooftops of Dughallmor Manor.

She even did some special sky-writing on my behalf!

Then she was joined by the rest of her Ruby Arrow Squadron—an elite corps of all-female dog pilots!

As they took a final pass over the Manor, suddenly a sky diver parachuted from the plane!

It was Just Harry!!! The returning hero of the Heron Wars, he was instrumental in the return of Myrna and Gilbert's wheely baby boy. He'd been attending dozens of tickertape parades and award dinners, but he was getting a bit bored and frankly, he missed his buddy Jakie!

His timing could not have been better, as we needed a baritone to round out our quartet. Usually, we perform as a Beatles tribute band, but on this special occasion, we renamed ourselves The Beagles.

Jake had a song commissioned by the esteemed lyricist Gussie just for the birthday celebration.

Please sing along to the tune of "The Bonnie Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond."

Upon Beagleland we are goin' ta stand,

All of us hip deep in the heather.

And me and my dog pals a courtin' we will go,

in the shade of the lovely Loch Lomon'

Now I've got my Gabbi and Petey his Rose,

and Eric's providin the transport.

We'll hide from the Aunties and share a tiny dram,

and we're hopin the girrrls don't wear panties.

And Marvin will join us and so will Lacie Beast

and we won't care so much 'bout the weather,

Til Hamish the Westie serves his Haggis feast

then we'll all return home to get better.

Ahhh, no one does the standards like Gussie!

Then I took to the stage to sing a special song from the musical "Bye Bye Birdie," dedicated to my birthday girl, my Rosie-Posie.

I was never crazy for flowers,

I confess that nothing left me colder;

I could watch a tulip for hours

And all I'd feel was sev'ral hours older!

Lilacs and lilies, any bloom you please,

All what they did was make me shrug or sneeze;

But now I love each blossom that I see,

For a lovely little rose loves me.

Now my life is rosy, when I'm with my Rosie,

With a girl like Rosie,

How could I be blue?

Paw in paw we'll mosey

Me and little Rosie,

We will be so cozy

Under a red blanket for two.

Oh! I once heard a poem that goes:

"A rose is a rose is a rose"

Well I don't agree,

Take it from me,

There's one rose sweeter than any that grows!

That's my Rosie,

I'm so glad she chose me;

Life is one sweet beautiful song,

When love is right then

What can be wrong?

Life is one sweet beautiful song

To me!