When we first met Lily fifteen years ago as a pup, we had no idea that there was such a breed as a pure white German Shepherd. Eventually we got to know her well. In our years of hiking through the urban forest which our home is located close to, we had met many German Shepherds; invariably they proved to be largely good-natured dogs, never anything but friendly with our succession of miniature and toy poodles.

Lily, though, was really special. She was so sweet-natured and happy to see us and our little dogs whenever we'd come across her that ours always looked forward to playing with her, feeling comfortable in her company. As a white dog she was hugely visible during the summer months, but in winter she simply 'disappeared', melting into the snowpack. She loved to roll in the deep snow, snuggle her back right into banks of snow, legs and paws merrily waving toward the sky.

It was a shock when we were informed that she had suddenly collapsed and died at age 14. We kept expecting to see her suddenly appearing behind a group of trees whenever we came across her human companion whose grief at her loss was palpable. He too saw her ghost emerging from the trees from time to time. It took quite a while to adjust to the reality of her absence, that it was permanent and she would never again happily round a corner of the trail and lope toward us.

Now, there's a successor-puppy, a young male that had arrived six months ago to accompany that man who had valued Lily as a vital companion adding quality to his life, as he strides through the woodland trails. He had especially looked for the same breed, his heart set on seeing another dog that looks just like Lily at his side. And that's when he found Noma, now seven months old and growing at a spectacular rate into the large dog that his sire was. He's not yet Lily's size, but he certainly has her temperament.

He's patient and sweet with our two small and often-pesty little dogs. Like Lily, he rushes toward us on the trail, far in advance of the man he accompanies, emitting all the while, plaintive little yelps of welcome. He's not Lily, true, but a reasonable facsimile, to be appreciated for his own unique characteristics.

Out in the ravine yesterday on one of our afternoon walks, Jackie and Jillie had the opportunity to discuss matters of canine interest with Noma, and to follow him as he tracked his way through the woods. We appear to have slipped into Indian summer; yesterday, today and tomorrow in the low-to-mid 20Cs, and seeming quite hot since we've by now adjusted to the sharper, cooler weather of fall.

Noma has yet to be introduced to winter. At which time he will enjoy, as Lily did before him, the appearance of an entirely different season, when he will, like her, find the opporyunity to 'disappear' into the snowy landscape, bathe in the cool atmosphere of accumulated snow, and bank additional memories in his growing ledger of life experiences.