I sympathize and empathize, Zmoz. They are with us such a short time. Maybee God has a plan for such loyal friends.
From the pic, he sure looks like he had a happy 12 years.
Sorry to hear that I had to put my pepper down this year so this was the first Christmas without hear. For the last thirteen Christmas pepper would make a bed under the Christmas tree and the wife would kick her out and when we would go to bed she would make it again. The last few years wife would just let her. Wife said this year that the only thing missing for Christmas was pepper under the tree.:'(