She is

I bring my hand toward Maggie's head and she lifts it to fit under my palm. I stroke her head, feel the warmth of her fur, and she is my sweet Maggie. 

But she is also my connection to Millie: 

Snoozing in the afternoon sun.

A quiet day on a sunny winter day.

Millie falling asleep with her ear in her food bowl.

Paws draped over the edge. 

Maggie is my reminder of the two of them together:

The silhouette of Maggie & Millie looking out at something interesting in the front field.

One of my favourite photos--lazy-dazy summer days.

On the back porch on a summer day.

In the kitchen on the runner that I taped to the floor so they wouldn't slip.

In my office.

Zzzzzz . . . .

Millie nuzzled in to Maggie's paws. She was a nuzzler.

In the living room, paws together . . . 

Maggie and Millie brought me back to Barkley and Remi:

Barkley & Remi's paws on the same retro-inspired carpet.

Barkley & Remi ready to come in after eating snow.  :-)

Inside, all cozy by the fire.   

Back yard at the Bay House. This is just an ordinary summer day, a snapshot of nothing in particular. They're not being funny or doing anything spectacular. Just hanging out in the yard.  :-) 

Together at the River House labyrinth.

Maggie's nature reminds me so much of Barkley:

SO SWEET. 

She was such a cheerful girl.

She was always by my side & followed me around, just like Maggie does.

Trotting down the pier to come join me.  :-)

Barkley in the River House labyrinth, a few months before her death. 

Feeling the warmth of Maggie's head under my hand, reminds me of Remi:

My gentle giant.

He weighed 145 lbs.

Remi was like Millie. He liked to sun himself on the porch in the winter.

He was not a fan of the camera; he didn't like the sound if it when it turned on.

Hullo.

 Looking at the back of Maggie's head . . . 

. . . reminds me of Millie, looking out her window at the River House:

Do you see what she's looking at? See the turkey to the right of her head?

It also reminds me of Remi's silhouette:

Sunrise at the Bay House; a familiar sight. Barkley went out & right back in again. Remi would walk around the perimeter of the yard & then go to the door and then sit at the window to let me know he wanted in.

Remi on another day. The sunrises were always beautiful, but I don't remember them without also remembering Barkley and Remi at my feet, while I was having my morning chai.

I picked Barkley out of a litter of 13 when she was 3 weeks old. I knew Remi before he was born and Barkley had puppies:

I never got to know Maggie or Millie in their youth. I missed their puppyhood and got them as old ladies. But I imagine what they must have been like; like all puppies that are exuberant and joyful and waggy. 

I bring my hand to Maggie's head and I touch every dog I have ever loved. 

Maggie is my connection to Millie and Barkley and Remi. She is my connection to unconditional love that only a dog lover knows. She is the softness, the gentleness, the playfulness. She is my waggy Miss Maggie, forever in my heart. 

Maggie on Monday

Maggie lying in the mulch on top of some sort of decorative grassy plant I have:

See?  

Hullo.

Then she gets up and walks around  . . .

Woah-woah-woah!  Where ya goin', Mag?

Coming back.

Can you see what she's heading toward? 

Striding along with such purpose. 

That's right: Tabby Bobcat.

Hullo.

Tum-de-dum.  Walking by.

Aaaaaand . . . 

Back up the ramp.

Last week I painted my kitchen & got a smaller table that Maggie can't sit under with her bed, so I moved her bed to the side:

Of course, I can't get to the sink when it's here!

Hullo.

Aaaaaand . . . 

Zzzzzz . . . . 

Sweet Maggie's paws.  :-)

Maggie on Monday

Last Monday, Chiro-sis came over to help me do some organizing. I went to Midlothian to pick up some furniture, and she stayed behind to clean. Just as I arriving at the store, I got a call on my cell phone from the sheriff's office asking me if I had a black dog. A neighbor had called reporting a dog in the road. Maggie was lying on the porch as I drove away and wandered up there. She's never done that before. She stays close to the house, even if I can't see her right away! Anyway, she was all loaded up on a truck when Ruth came in the nick of  time to claim her. Ruth told me that she had discovered Maggie missing and had gone down to the lake looking for her. Whew!  Disaster averted!

The lawn got a bit shaggy.

This is one of Maggie's favourite spots on a nice day when I'm in the house:

Watchya lookin' at, Mag?

Lawnmower Paul, deshagging the lawn.

We were sitting sitting on the lawn & here she is sniffing my knee. 

Maggie on the deshagged lawn.

In another favourite, sunny, mulchy spot.

Hullo.

*sniff*

Here's a preview of my handy work with Ruth in the kitchen:

New sideboard, we installed the shelves, & I painted the wall green.

This is Maggie this morning as I was putting everything back in place:

Zzzzzzzz . . . . 

:-)

Outside later this morning:

Watchya lookin' at, Mag?

Tabby Bobcat.

Hullo.

When I come and sit on the porch, Maggie comes up to join me. This is my view:

From the front.

Hullo.

Later this afternoon:

Back in the mulch.

You may recall that I got grim news for Maggie in January. She was given 2 months to live by the vet. However, her 2 months is up and she's still going. There was a period of time where I couldn't get her to eat and she was losing weight. She is eating like a horse and gaining weight again. Mum has said, "She's nevah going to die, she has it too good!" She's still frail and arthritic, but she wags her tail whenever I bring my hand to pet her. When I wake up, I lie in bed and say, "Maaaaggie...good morrrrrrning!" And she thumps her tail. SO SWEET. So for now, she's doing OK. I don't know how much time we have left, but as long as she's not suffering, she's here with me. Right now she is lying here in the living room with me snoozing by my feet. SO SWEET.