Mark chapter 15 tonight.

Living in a remote forest in the northern edge of Canada,

Trapper John, his closest friend was a faithful German shepherd named Duke.

And every few days, he and Duke would take an overnight trek through all his trapping area and check his traps

and he'd pick up, you know, animal pelts.

And that was his way of making a living

and that rough way of living up there.

He would go to the trading post in the distant town

and give those pelts, and it really sustained their very simple life.

Trapper John and Duke shared each other's company for over 10 years since he had traded

furs, and when he was just a little puppy, he traded his first furs. And the dog loved the man,

often protecting him from animals, often from coyotes and other

things were out in their night treks. Duke even seemed to listen attentively as Trapper John would

talk to him around the fire at night. Although it was a lonely existence, Trapper John had chosen it

and he loved it. On one trip into town to sell some of his, you know,

furs and purchase more goods, he met her. He knew in town, this young woman, he had immediately

caught his attention. She worked at the trading post and seemed anxious to engage in him in

conversation and they enjoyed dinner together and after that John started making more frequent trips into town.

That spring, they married, and she moved her things out to the Trapper's Cabot in the woods.

Their first child was born in the following winter,

but tragedy accompanied the birth of their beautiful daughter,

for Trapper John's wife died in childbirth.

...