After Life Casket Sales

W. Bush’s service dog, a yellow Labrador retriever named Sully, will accompany his casket as he travels to Washington, D.C., to lie in state at the Capitol Rotunda this week. Jim McGrath, Bush’s spokesman, posted a photo on Twitter late Sunday showing the devoted dog lying mournfully next to the casket. McGrath captioned the photo “Mission complete.” Sully, a service dog who’d been at Bush’s side since former first lady Barbara Bush passed away this year, will reportedly be returned to service to help other veterans at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. “As much as our family is going to miss this dog, we’re comforted to know he'll bring the same joy to his new home, Walter Reed, that he brought to 41,”  former President George W. Bush wrote on Instagram. The elder Bush passed away Friday at age 94. He will be honored by members of the House and Senate at a ceremony scheduled for Monday at 5 p.m., while members of the public will be able to pay their respects at the Capitol Rotunda from 7:30 p.m. Monday until 7 a.m. Wednesday. His family is expected to release further details about memorial arrangements this week.

W. Bush:"I just watched them carry the casket out of sight at Texas A&M. I've been watching since the military took charge of the funeral."One of the most amazing things I've ever seen in my life was the soldier behind the casket. I want to find out who he is."For seven days, he has not left the casket. He must come from the Watch of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier."Every time that casket moved, he was standing by it; it would not move without him — the same soldier, immaculate, perfect."He saluted every time the casket was moved; he never took his eyes off it. When the honor guard was formed at the back of the hearse, eyes front, he was at attention looking at the casket."He just marched over the hill out of sight, still on watch, perfect. He was as inspiring to me as the man he took home."Tears from a TexanAlgie Petrere, of Central, says the Bush funeral reminded her of her Texas upbringing:"I wasn't going to watch any more of President Bush's funeral but couldn't help myself when they went to College Station. I'm so glad he chose Texas, and especially Texas A&M, as his final resting place."Naturally, I cried when they played the Aggie War Hymn when they were bringing him off the train. I sang along through the tears."I didn't attend A&M; at that time, it was an all-male college. However, we were indoctrinated to be avid Aggie fans from an early age. The Aggie War Hymn was played at all of our junior high and high school games, and we sang with great enthusiasm."Wizard on the waterFollowing a Thursday story from a reader who had trouble starting a Western Auto Water Wizard outboard motor, Robert Robbins, of Baton Rouge, tells of a more positive experience: "My fondest memories of Western Auto involve the Wizard 25 horsepower outboard I bought from them around 1956."Don't remember how I talked them into giving a school kid a big-ticket item on monthly payments, but they did."With addition of a speed prop and the 25 mounted on an old hydroplane hull my brother and I h...