The Nickster and Smoochy Poochy Boy were nicknames Nicholas gained across the 14 years of his life. To say that he loved everyone is an understatement. He had kisses for everyone who wanted them including his brother Alexander who usually didn’t always want them but tolerated them. A day never went by when I didn't get a a face full of kisses from Nick, usually several times. I called his kisses the 4 Ws: wet, wild, warm and wonderful. From day one, the boys had to have separate leashes when we walked because Nick, unlike his brother, never learned to pace himself, but rather went full speed ahead coupled with bouncing from side to side which meant he was really tired when we headed home because he had covered twice the territory. Hence the nicknames Racer and Pacer. Easy to see which one was the Racer. Nick’s second passion was for chasing squirrels in the backyard. Never was he successful in catching any and they loved to torment him by getting him caught between two of them which meant he didn’t know which way to turn. I could see the indecision on his face as he tried to figure out which of the two squirrels to chase. Never did he learn that it made no difference which one he decided to chase because he wouldn’t win the race. His third passion was treats. It was impossible to unpack a sack of groceries which included a bag of doggie treats without him at my feet, begging for a treat. He really had a nose for the treats. While his last year was beset with health problems, Nick soldiered on like a trooper. He amazed me with his tenacity to live, until the very end when it just became to much. Thank you Nicholas for 14 very special years.