Misty moisty mornings are wonderful to look at but for old girls like me and my 14 year old Princess Ruby III they are not much fun. Especially for Ruby.  She has been getting a tad stiff for a while now, taking her glucosamine twice a day for a month and still managing to make it up on the couch. She walks now with a stiff and stately  motion but it gets her there.

We built her a ramp so she can get out to the garden easily, and back in as well, which was getting to be a problem. And then disaster struck in the form of the energetic, loveable and very large Henry Hound, bounding out the door and pushing her off her ramp. She fell on the patio stones with a thud  as I leaped about shouting at poor Henry.  He came over, very perplexed and worried, And licked her. I ran my hands over her sides but nothing seemed off, and she got up stiffly and staggered about after me in the garden.

Here is poor Henry before we put up the ramp.

It is difficult when our furry friends get old. Ruby reminds me now of old Great Aunts of my distant youth, who suffered any number of pains without a whimper, keeping the proverbial lip stiff.  She seems better now. Nothing we can do but keep up the warmth and love and constant reassuring presence.  Old dogs are special, no doubt about it!