White Dog was thoughtful and subdued today. On a rather grey day the loss of her friend, Veteran's Day, and the final leaves dropping from the trees all served as reminders of the fragility of life. We cuddled a lot. We held each other tightly and pondered how horrible it would be if one of us were suddenly gone. After lunch, Steve went out to the car to return to work but came excitedly rushing in and dragged White Dog and me outside. "Look!" he smiled, tear rolling down his cheek. There, on the rose bush against the stairs, in the middle of November, a single beautiful lavender rose vigorously bloomed!