A life time of chasing balls, relentless and ferocious and so totally border-collie like in your pursuit. Never giving up and never letting anyone, no matter who they were, walk away without that one last toss
A lifetime of finding trails, nose to the ground like some scent dog, perhaps missing the scent of the prey but never missing an opportunity to look over your shoulder to tell me "C'mon Dad, it's this way." Whatever "this" was
A lifetime of being a good sister to Terra, even if reluctantly, As much as you tried to remain aloof, you followed her, you trusted her, shared your bed with her and in moments of uncertainty, permitted that rare contact, knowing that she would always protect you
A lifetime of eating cookies. No, just eating; loving, adoring, taking whatever Terra left behind .. even if she didn't know that she left it behind. Those brown eyes, that little smile, that sleek little head against your leg, all of it perfectly presented so that no cookie would pass you by
A lifetime of taking care of your family but seducing us into taking care of you. Yeh, that's a border collie thing. Must have been exhausting being so cute, so lovable, so completely manipulative. Yeh, we knew all that but still, how could we resist
No one ever believed that you were an old girl. "How old is she???" they would ask when we told them you were 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 ... That spirit in you was so strong, your love for life so powerful, no one saw, at first, the grey fur on your muzzle.
You were never supposed to spend that life with us. You were just a project, a border collie rescued and waiting for a new life. We did not know that that life would be with us. But you did. You knew it all along
It's OK to rest now Little One. You're tired. You earned it. Good night Miss Panda. Dream of squirrels, while we dream of you
