One Year Later ~ My Tribute to Our Beloved Levi

It was a year ago that we had to tearfully say goodbye to a wonderful, loving companion. Levi was the most loving, kind, Chihuahua, and my chihuahuas, Ruth & Boaz loved him from the second they met the new kid. He was only 4 months old when we got him. It was a little miracle how he ended up in our lives. It was just meant to be. His whole long life was documented in countless pics and videos. Everyone who ever met him, loved him.

Maggie would be added to the little tribe in 2012 and then there were four of them. They were a sight to behold to see them together. Levi was a little comforter and a gentleman pup all of his long life. When I lost my beloved Ruth & Boaz in 2016, I wept and held Levi and Little Maggie tightly. Levi's health began to fail as he got older. It was my joy to help keep him around as long as I could. I was his Papa. We got much more time with him than the Vet was expecting with his care. That day we were dreading finally came on the day after Independence Day 2023. We were by his side when he quietly left us and our tears flowed in abundance.

When I got home, I could not just do nothing, so I went into my little workshop and kitchen and brewed a special batch of beer in his memory, named for him, Silver Prince with a special friend of mine who offered to keep me company as I was so heartbroken. It was brewed on July 5th 2023. I bottled the special batch of beer on what would have been his 14th birthday, October 3rd 2023. I put a special label with Levi's likeness and the date it was bottled. There are only a few bottled beers left. They have been carefully stored under refrigeration for months so they don't go bad.

I took Maggie for a walk after I lit a candle for Levi under the shade of the fig tree on July 5th. I'm not sure why she was barking in the last little clip from Friday. I had also lit a backup candle in the event that the Shabbos candle had been blown out by the breeze. It was not needed. I also had one burning next to his picture on my fireplace mantle.

Levi was with me when I planted the fig tree on Ruth & Boaz birthday, on the first birthday after I had lost them in 2016. I have that special picture of that day. The fig tree was delicate at the time and it has thrived since then. There is now a memorial stone for Levi next to my Ruth & Boaz. Maggie walked with Papa around the same Horseshoe Lake that Levi loved to lead us, pulling tight on the leash with lots of torque for a little dog, even after he was sick. They just loved it.

I opened two bottles of Levi's special Silver Prince beer that night as a toast to my beloved Levi. They were still easy drinking and refreshing on a hot summer day. Brewed with tears in my eyes and bottled with love for a special blessing for many years in my life. That's the little backstory for this little movie, One Year Later.