Dear Fredericka and Lucy:

Now that the year is ending, I can't help but think about Simba.

Simba, my most favorite American Mastiff, passed away this year. He was the handsomest dog you could ever find. I picked him up personally from Flying W farm in Ohio and hand-carried him home just like I did with Sunshine, his partner and principal mate. The first two pictures show him with a classmate of Mariel, my eldest granddaughter. You can see how gentle the American Mastiff is. The next picture is Thor, whose gentle giant ways made its way into a major dog magazine. The last two are of offsprings from Simba and Sunshine. The fourth picture shows a brindle and shows how massive the American Mastiff can become, while the fifth picture is a tan apricot (much like the color of a lion) and shows you how tall they can become. We will miss Simba.

RAFAEL G