About Me

Welcome! My name is David Sunfellow. I have lived in Sedona for almost 40 years. Along with raising my family here (I have four grown children), I am mostly known for being a wedding photographer and a near-death experience researcher/teacher/author. I’m also an avid hiker and, being semi-retired, have decided to start a new career as a dog walker. If you are looking for someone you can trust to get your beloved dog some sunshine, fresh air, and healthy exercise, I can help.

While this is a dog walking website, I thought I would share a poem I wrote to give you a better idea of who I am and how I feel about animals — and life in general. This poem was written for Elf, one of the many cats my family and I have loved and shared our lives with…

…………………

Elf

18 years ago
or thereabouts
my oldest daughter dragged her home.
“Can we keep her, papa?”
“No,” I firmly answered.
“We have no room for another cat!”
But my oldest daughter
refused to yield.
Instead, she gathered reinforcements —
two sisters and a mama —
and pressed again:
“Pleeeeeaaaaase, papa!”
My defenses
cracked
and then crumbled
and a little ball of fur
who came to be known as “Elf”
joined our family.

Time passed.
The mama moved on.
The girls grew up.
More cats
came
and went.
Through it all,
Elf remained.
She was quiet and gentle
and quick to purr and make friends.
And she knew how to dodge cars,
dogs,
and coyotes,
which is important in Arizona.

She also had a super power.
Everyone sensed it.
Including strangers.
But it wasn’t obvious
or flashy
or colorful.
It took me years,
in fact,
to identify her special gift.

Sometimes,
while she was stretched out
sunning herself
or laying in someone’s lap
without a care in the world,
I would complain to Elf:
What are you good for?
You eat a lot of expensive cat food.
You shed fur.
You fill up cat boxes
that I have to empty and clean.
Yes, you’ve caught two or three mice
but you’ve killed way more birds
and lizards.

True to her particular super power
she ignored my complaints
and nuzzled me
or someone
or something
else.

When my last daughter left the nest
I admit that I was tempted to give her away
but by then she had won me over.
Many others
who also shunned her at first
met a similar fate.
Sooner or later
everyone warmed up to Elf.

So what super power did she possess?
She paid attention to the little things.
Whereas humans are often lost and confused
Elf always knew
what was important.

Have a bad day?
Lose a boyfriend?
Or a girlfriend?
Can’t pay the bills?
Need a new car?
Feel anxious, stressed out, depressed?

Elf’s answer to everything was the same:
“Let’s cuddle.”

Yes, it’s a very simple formula
but since I have seen it calm storms
and heal the sick
on many occasions
I take it seriously.

After 126 years
(in cat time)
Elf left the world today.
Those who knew her
loved her
and miss her
and her gentle magic.
Including me
who will, perhaps,
miss her most of all.

True to form,
she left this world as she lived:
looking lovingly into the eyes of those who loved her.
Her last words were equally moving.
Instead of complaining,
or protesting,
or demanding attention,
she rested quietly
and purred
and purred
and purred
until her breathing stopped
and she left this world for the next.

I aspire to live
and die
as gracefully.

…………………

For those of you who may be wondering what happens to our beloved pets — and us — when we leave this world, here are a few other resources to check out:

• Do Our Pets Have An Afterlife?
• Near-Death Experiences: Will Our Dogs Be Waiting For Us?
• Susan’s Near-Death Experience With Her Pets
• Lynn’s Near-Death Experience With Her Pet Dogs

• When Loved Ones & Friends Pass From This World To The Next

For those of you who might be interested in checking out my near-death experience books, here’s where to go:

• The Purpose of Life as Revealed by Near-Death Experiences from Around the World
• 500 Quotes From Heaven: Life-Changing Quotes That Reveal The Wisdom & Power Of Near-Death Experiences

And finally, here’s a resource page about the importance of plants, animals, and the Earth, according to near-death experiences:

• Near-Death Experiences On The Importance Of Plants, Animals And The Earth