Eklutna Lakeside Baby Memorial Hike

Today I walked 10 miles on the Eklutna Lakeside Trail with the Valley Wanderers and my friends, Diane, Maria, Pam, Kathleen and Mark. The Valley Wanderers made this hike a memorial for Baby, my dog killed on the trail two weeks ago. We stopped at the place where she died and had a little ceremony for her. Kathleen said a prayer to Saint Francis. I brought a bouquet of flowers and placed them under a spruce tree. I had dressed Baby as a butterfly for Halloween and she was so adorable, that we all think of her as a little butterfly. I have pinned the butterfly from that costume on my hiking pack so it feels like I bring a part of her on all of my hikes. I hung several little butterflies in the trees in the area to mark the spot. I kept them small so they didn't detract from the nature of the trail. One is a tiny wooden birdhouse shaped like a butterfly. It hangs on a tree slightly off the trail.

My flower boquet

There is a tiny blue one nailed to another tree and a clear plastic one also one a third tree.

I also scattered some Forget-Me-Not flower seeds around the area. I'm hoping one day I see them blooming along the trail. They are indigenous to Alaska and are also our state flower.

It was a beautiful day for the hike, but felt so strange to not have Baby along leading me on her leash. I did feel that she was certainly with us in spirit. We all know and miss her so much.

My little butterfly, Baby