One of the quirks Roxie had was she would hide chew chips i'd give to her and tae (to keep "her's" safe). I'd find them in the bed comforter between it and the sheet, in the one corner of the couch and under my bed pillow (this is where Roxie put the last one on Saturday morning before she felt too bad to move). Now a normal non pet person would cringe about this but it was funny in a way and I knew my girl knew tae knew her hiding spots. Walking out to the mailbox for the mail if a neighbor was out we'd stop to talk and Roxie would lay down quietly quite content to wait until I was ready to go back home and all the while she was ever vigilent watching me to make sure I was ok. If I stressed out too much she'd bark to remind me to "mom, please calm down". We never trained her to take on that responsibility at all but it was one she took over with total Aussie abandon. A gorgeous black, white, tan (a black tri as they say), she was such a pretty pretty girl even when the grey hairs of maturity began to show on her beautiful face. I just found a puppy pic from the rescue agency we were lucky enough to adopt her from along with a young pup pic taken august 28, 2007 just before she turned a year that November 21st. Mommy's girl, you were the light that shone so bright in my life and now that light is extinquished forever. I keep waiting to see you put your loving head on my leg or lay right in front of me while I was on the computer and how I miss that so much.

Even though I know I did what was in her best interests it hurts when the question creeps into my head but what if she could have pulled through. I scold myself each time that happens because I don't think she would have and God knows I never would have forgiven myself if they had stabilized her and sent me home only to have her pass without me around to say "see you later sweetie" and to hug her a few more times and have her feel my loving touch stroking her face as she left to cross the bridge.