4/6/26 – It is with great sadness that we must share the news that Sawbill’s best good boy Huckleberry has passed on. After 13 years of the best dog life we can imagine, he developed an aggressive cancer which ultimately made his bad moments more numerous than his good ones. An integral part of our family, we were sure he would live forever.

Huckleberry came to us while we were living in Missoula, Montana, by way of Beaver Bay, Minnesota. He spent his young years hiking Waterworks hill, catching frisbees in the soccer field near our house, and swimming as much as possible in Dickey Lake. The first time we brought him up to Dan’s grandmother’s house on the lake, he ran full tilt off the end of the dock. We weren’t even sure if he knew how to swim, he was still just a 6 month old puppy! He splashed to the surface, and basically never left the water voluntarily again for the rest of his life.

When we moved to Sawbill, Huck was THRILLED by his new proximity to Sawbill Lake. That first summer, we had to double his food intake due to the calories he was burning with hours of swimming. I cannot tell you the number of times we had to wade in up to our thighs just to snag his collar and get him to come home for the night.

Huckle’s second great love was kids. We often joked that most people get a dog for their kids, but we had to have kids for our dog. The gentlest soul, I never doubted his calm behavior around kids of all ages for one second. Our kids learned how to walk with their chubby little fists clutched tight into his fur. He could often be found lounging on the Sawbill Store floor with a gaggle of kids loving on him.

If you ever stayed in the Sawbill Campground, there’s a good chance you got a visit from Huckleberry. He loved nothing better than sneaking out of the store and making the rounds of the campsites. A social butterfly through and through, he once even tried to sneak a ride on a school bus destined for Eden Prairie.

We know Huckleberry was special to many of you, and we want to say thank you for loving on our good boy over the years. It’s a unique feeling to share parts of our family life so intimately with everyone who visits Sawbill, but we know our lives are all the richer for these connections.

-Clare