Bailey, Judi's loyal and true beagle, passed away on July 22, 2002, a little less than three months from his 16th birthday. During his long struggle with a brain tumor he never lost his bright, happy spirit. If, in my old age, I'm faced with a debilitating disease, like he was, my only wish would be to face it the way he did. May beagles be an inpiration to us all.

For many years Judi has been collecting beagle-related Christmas tree ornaments, and now she has over 100 (counting that she has two of most). So this Christmas she decided to decorate a tree entirely in a beagle theme, in Bailey's memory. These are some pictures of that tree.

She chose a white artificial Christmas tree, instead of a traditional one, because most of the beagle ornaments are brown and black, and they show up better against a white background. White Christmas lights, a garland of white beads, and Victorian tinsel completed the tree, along with a bevy of stuffed beagles who gathered underneath.

You can click on any of the pictures to get a larger view.

Thanks for visiting.

The Full Tree

The Tree Topper Bailey's Special Ornament View of the Lower Part of the Tree Judi commisioned a special memorial ornament from the artist Joyce Batcheler. It shows a star peeking over a cloud. When Bailey died, Judi said he was finally free of the debilitating effects of his tumor, and she imagined that he was jumping from cloud to cloud. Joyce Batcheler is more than an artist who creates animal-themed ornaments. She's also a warm and compassionate person. If you'd like an ornament created for your dog, or horse, or other animal, I encourage you to send a message to Joyce at JB638@aol.com. She created an ornament for my own beagle, Missy, that you'll see in the detail pictures below. Also in the detail pictures below, you'll notice "Victorian tinsel" -- narrow strips of silver twisted into corkscrew shape. Supposedly, this is what was used for tinsel in Victorian times, before machines could produce the glittery paper-like wisps that pass for tinsel today. The Victorian tinsel can be removed and reused year after year, and it doesn't send your tree to the landfill instead of the mulcher. Also, in our opinion, it's more beautiful. Click on any of the pictures to see a larger view.

	Missy's Special Ornament		A Picture Ornament
	Beagle Angels		Beagle Birthstone
	Lit Doghouse		Beagle Tangled in Lights
	In Florida, Beagles Spend Christmas Under Palm Trees		Bailey's "Bone" Ornament

Under the Tree

Princess Sunni

All text and images on this page and pages linked to from this page are © Copyright Gregory S. Smith 2002. All rights reserved.