Willow's 13th

“She Squirmed across the sheet, struggled in the darkness, driven by instinct, the last puppy born edged closer to my armpit.  Marveled by her strength, beauty and perfectly formed miniature canine features, I savored this moment.  The puppy nudged in my armpit, it tickled, eventually I picked her up and I plugged her onto a nipple on Theia’s belly.  I liked this little one, seconds old and we already had a soul touching moment.  I pushed the encounter out of my mind.  Sleep over came us all, canines and human.  In the stillness and silence of that early spring morning in May, a new journey began to unfold…”That was how Willow and I first met.              Willow had her 13th birthday yesterday, May 30^th.  We had a quiet little milestone day.  The morning started early with the puppy needing to go out at quarter to five - still a bit dark.  Willow crashed down the stairs for her breakfast, and then we did our little stroll around the backside of the house to get the zoomies out of the Pearl, usually only semi effective.  Then it was back to bed for a digestive nap, movie, snuggle and raw beef bones all around - happy dogs.  Up again for the day at 8:15 AM at which time we went for a thirty minute walk down the Juggernaught trail and ended up sitting in the field.  Bugs chased us home.  Once home the dogs napped while I puttered, then we all went to the dump and visited some friends.               After our visit I mowed the lawn at my uncles, then home for dinner, both the dogs and mine.  After dinner we strolled around the house again, then I put Pearl in her crate and Willow, Nash and I went for a walk at our old place.  Just the three of us hung out in the field of daisies, tall grass, sun and walked the dirt road.  Willow and Nash seemed most pleased to have some time away from the puppy.  This was Willow's birthday gift - her chance to relax and not worry about getting bashed (only sometimes) and nibbled by Pearl.  I could see a distinct change in their character as the three of us settled into our old ways.      After our walk I did an errand and stopped at Nancy's, then came home to a very happy Pearl.  The four of us strolled around the house and came in for the night.