Botar “Bo” Cessna

Botar was our canine, “Man of the House.” He was an 8-year-old yellow English-American Labrador retriever, and Bo’s devotion and loyalty to us held no boundaries. He was our shadow from sunup to sundown. He completely adored his mommy, Roe, and slept right outside our bedroom door every single night. As soon as Roe woke up in the morning to start her day, Bo pretty much stayed by her side for the remainder of it.

While Bo’s running-after-the-4-wheeler days had wound down a bit due to his age, he could still sprint when the mood struck. He had always enjoyed going down to the creek, but only to the extent of getting his feet wet. He was a strong swimmer, but swimming was not one of his favorite activities.

As Bo matured further into senior life, he did not seem as excited as he once was about the younger dogs’ playfulness and, in true “Grumpy Old Man” fashion, let them know when he did not want to be bothered. Still, he remained our chief greeter whenever someone arrived for a visit and always made sure to bring a shoe, a slipper, or a boot to our guest as a token of friendship.