An Old Dog Welcomes Spring

Oh, the joy for the old dog to step outside and welcome another spring.

Caeli is 15 years old now, quite possibly older, and winter is hard on old dogs.

Through early winter, if temperatures stayed above freezing, she toddled along with the other Border collies on the daily trek around the pastures. The February freeze and snow put an end to that.

Old dog bodies don't hold their heat like young ones do; and arthritic feet have trouble negotiating the ice and snowdrifts. Caeli's time outdoors in February was measured in minutes.

She spent much of the month lying on the couch and grouching at Emma, the tri-colored Border collie, for breathing, for looking at her, for existing.

In the past few weeks, the snow has melted; the temperatures have warmed; and Caeli has looked longingly at the gate that leads down the driveway to the pasture.

Last week, I told the other Border collies we were doing a shorter walk and invited Caeli to come along.

She trotted behind me, her tail wagging, as the soft earth squished beneath her arthritic paws and sunlight penetrated her cloudy eyes.

 As the other dogs chased each other, wrestled, hunted mice and dug, she lowered her nose to the earth, taking in the heady smells of death and decay, new growth and hope.

I don't know when Caeli will leave this earth, but my mind goes back to that sunny fall day when my old mare was euthanized. The skies were blue; the sun was warm; the breeze was cool. In short, one of those perfect fall days.

"What a beautiful day for her last day on earth," the vet commented. 

So much better to leave this world in sunshine than rain.

And, so as I walk with Caeli, I'm grateful she made it through winter and once more felt the warm breezes and sunshine of spring.