Remembering Charlie

I often get asked to carve remembrance stones, plaques, boulders or sculpture to mark the life of a loved pet and cherished member of the family.  It is such a heartbreaking time when you lose your very best animal friend and I understand this well myself.  It can be so emotional cutting the letters, or carving - but I do know that once the stone is in place, it makes for a special marker and in time helps in the recalling of all the happy times and special moments shared.

This week I have been carving a small stone for a dog named Charlie, and it brought back memories of a ferret I had called Charlie.  I made a stone for him which I put in the garden at the base of a hedge he loved to run under, and through which he had such games of escaping into next door's garden, springing and leaping on their lawn knowing full well I could not get through the tangle of undergrowth to reach him.

It feels a great privilege to be involved with the making of a memorial stone and to be part of leaving a token of our appreciation and love.  A big thankyou to all our beautiful animal pets - what it is to have known them.

This is quick pastel sketch I did years ago of the very best ferret on the planet, Charlie, playing with his wife Twiggy (the pretty blonde one).