My Sweet Millie

This. This was the picture I saw on Petfinder that made me fall in love with 2 senior labweiler sisters. And this look of bliss on Millie's face--pure JOY. It makes my heart smile every time I see it.

Almost 2 years ago, I loaded up Maggie & Millie from Mari's and brought them home.

 
2 weeks ago, I said goodbye to the River House. Today, I said goodbye to my sweet Millie.

Millie took a bit of time to warm up to me. She wasn't all waggy & cheerful like Maggie. She was grumpy & grouchy & I surmised it was because she was in a great deal of physical pain. So every night, I settled in with the girls and we watched Ellen and I gave them a massage and Reikied them. Slowly Millie warmed up and began to trust me. I won't leave you. I'm in this for the long haul. You are home, I assured her.

Checking out the labyrinth.

When I first got her, Millie had thick front legs; I surmised that it was lymph fluid. It was one of the ways I could tell the difference between her and Maggie in the beginning because they looked so much alike. Slowly the swelling went down with each massage and her legs were normal .

Happy girls.

 Since they were so old, I couldn't train them as I would a puppy. I couldn't teach them, but I could learn from them. I learned that Millie liked to nuzzle things. Her favourite spot was on the crook of her nose. She would position her head under my fingers for some scratching, and she would nuzzle up to other things as well . . .

Like Maggie's paws.

Or a computer bag.

Her favourite spot inside the house was in front of the living room window where she could watch turkeys, deer, & other wild life in the field. She also watched the train, & cars & planes. I discovered this early on when she was barking & I followed her line of sight and saw the faintest white line going across the sky. She certainly had her eyesight!

Her favourite spot outside was on the back porch