Her name was "Lipstick"

It's been a few years, but I still remember that her name was "Lipstick."

Not that she wore a lot of make-up...to my knowledge she didn’t wear any - no false eyelashes, no rouge. She wasn’t beautiful, but she had that look that makes females attractive. Large eyes, some would say too far apart, but they always seemed to be wide open and full of life. Her large beautiful lips glowed a golden color in the sun, and that’s how she got her name. She had a beautiful body and when she moved, her tail moved slowly back and forth with a smooth rythym. She never wore clothes but was still modest in her own way. I used to have a martini with her almost every evening. She did not drink, but always stayed close...she loved my company.

Lipstick became part of our family one year and was my constant companion ever since. Joining me for my morning coffee most days, her body moved with the grace of a bird, gliding with effortless motion as we both relaxed in the morning sun. She could have spent her life in the city, safely enclosed behind glass walls, but chose instead the country, surrounded by the sounds of birds and waterfalls.

But suddenly Lipstick was gone. A victim of nature’s cruel cycle of life, after becoming a midnight snack for a hungry raccoon. She is now in that great Koi pond in the sky, swimming to her heart’s content for all eternity. These are the harsh realities of living in the country, surrounded by wild turkeys, raccons, Indian casinos, and wineries. But it was our choice to move here, and as we forge out our life in this untamed wilderness, we will think of Lipstick often, and keep a vigilant watch for the wily raccoons who continue to make many nightly raids on our goldfish pond.