Devoted companion

Winnie is a good, good dog. She is eleven years old, born on the summer solstice; in dog years she is of senior age, and somewhere around 80 in people years. Winnie is big for a female collie, weighing in at around 80 pounds. She has a beautiful, thick white mane and soft, silky ears. Winn is the kind of dog who shows her soul in her eyes. She smiles a lot. Every evening, when Birdy and I turn into the drive, Winnie, who is waiting at the front door, recognizes us and I see her get to her feet. When Birdy is in the garage and I open the back gate, Winnie is at the back door waiting for me, happy to see me and welcome me home. Her form of greeting -required, not optional- is to stand between my legs and to prance from one back foot to the other while I scratch her hind quarters and tell her how happy I am to see her and to ask her if she has had a good day. Every evening, without fail, she waits for me. Friend, devoted companion; her greetings are a daily gift she gives freely.