"I remember when, ..." This is a way we remember loved ones who have passed away. We retell stories, that make us remember both the good times and the bad.

This is my story.

Our dog, Dirk Pitt was my best friend for 11 years. Dirk was with us on day trips, across country vacations, and he was never satisfied to be left in the car. You could find him running along the beach, chasing after a ball or two, or hiking along the path with us happy as can be. He was a very active member of our family, and we will always remember him in those locations. While my wife and I were on a sabbatical in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. He was diagnosed with severe bone cancer, and within days after that, we made the hardest choice of all, to ease his suffering. Being away from our normal home we chose to have Dirk cremated and have the ashes returned to us. Allowing us to decide later what to do with his ashes when we return home.

I didn't want spreading his ashes to be like in the Movie The Big Lebowski.

After Dirk passed, I was depressed. One of the ways I felt I could move forward and honor his memories was to do something with the ash. Being a potter made this idea very easy, mix his ashes into the Clay, fire it, and make bone china. What I found to be harder, was, what was I to make with that bone china clay. With respect to Dirk, I felt most simplest idea has the most merit. I created a simple set of memory stones.(stones the size of my palm, and easy to hold)
My wife and I then took those stones to two beaches, the first beach, was where Dirk had the most fun on in Cape Cod before we knew of his cancer. The second beach, was the last beach we went to, minutes before he passed. We chose to skip these stones into the ocean, knowing that eventually they may wash back up on the beach, look at the last photo in this set. I still have Ash from Dirk left. I will make Dirk's new stones to go to all the places I remember him here around Calgary, and his stones have to make it on to a few beaches he enjoyed over on the Pacific ocean too.

Update Oct 2008
Dirk's stones have made it to the west cost of Washington and the Pacific ocean. See the new images at the end.

I have told my story ( I described it a little bit more when I'm talking to someone), to close personal friends and other "Dog" people, all of whom loved the story. Some friends have asked to have me make memory stones for them. They see themselves able to remember many locations that they would like to honor a loved one.

I'm in the studio at this time and I have added memory stones to the daily working of my studio.

If I talked to you about memory stones, or you've found this through a friend or just a random search on the Internet, please contact me