On the last day of the school year, I jumped in my truck with my dog, Duende and we headed west. It’s become a habit, and a chance for me to travel and work on my art. But last year was different. After teaching art at a public high school in upstate New York for 10 years, I decided to leave the profession behind and focus full time on photography. I would not be making the trip back east at the end of summer. Portland, Oregon would be my new home.
Sadly, Duende became very ill shortly after arriving in Portland. I was told she only had a few days left. Just shy of 14 years old, she had been healthy and strong all her life. Suddenly she was dying. We packed my truck and headed to the coast for one last weekend together. When we returned, to our new home, she passed peacefully in my arms at our apartment. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever been through.
She was my friend and companion for 14 years, and every day I had responsibilities in taking care of her. The lack of her presence and the daily routines that were part of our lives left a serious vacancy for me. I didn’t know what to do with myself without her. So I flew back to New York and headed upstate where my motorcycle had been waiting for an inevitable cross country ride. I always knew the trip would be a kind of therapy for me, but I didn’t know it would be for Duende.