January 7, 2002 – To usher in the new year, I thought it would be fun to assemble a retrospective "patchwork" of thumbnails representing various 2001 DaDane of DaWeek illustrations beginning in January and ending in December. After completing the composition, it was obvious to me just how much Jabber, our mantle Dane, dominated the line-up for several months running. He experienced one medical crisis after another – at times his health problems were almost overwhelming.

None-the-less, Jabber and his brother Merlin celebrated their seventh birthday on December 14. It seems a miracle that Jabber has lasted so long, considering his volatile medical history. I've avoided reporting on Jabber in recent months because there hasn't been much news – no major ups or downs, just the slow and steady decline of Jabber's rear motor functions.

We had a big snow last week, which is most unusual for us living here in the deep south. Once they adjusted to the shock of it, both Jabber and Merlin enjoyed it a great deal. We worried that Jabber would be unable to get around outside due to the slippery conditions, but he did just fine. We continue to take life with Jabber one day at a time.

Last Installment: Jabber is Gone