Shelby's blog

It can’t be a year already. Shelby’s big sister and the Worlds Most Beautiful Border Collie crossed the bridge on June 13, at 3:04 PM.

Penny was the most amazing dog I have ever met. She came to us as a scared, timid 1 year old from a local shelter. She was a Border Collie with the color of a tri-colored Collie. She was beautiful and regal. No matter where we went people would always tell us how beautiful she was. When she came to live with us we were told, she’ll need a job or she’ll get into trouble. Poor Penny didn’t know that a big part of her job was going to be taking care of me and getting me out of my comfort zone. My, how she could run, she was wicked fast. Penny learned how to chase a tennis ball. She would run after it, find it, point it out to me and then trot back to where I was…without the ball. She’d look at me like, you want me to bring you the ball? Perhaps a lab or golden might do that, you see, I’m a Border Collie and this Border Collie don’t fetch!

I tried doing agility with Penny, she was great I was doing the best I could. One evening in front of the whole class I was running beside her, tripped and fell face first in the horse training arena. She looked at me like, you are so embarrasing me, get up, maybe no one saw you! One other time as we were running next to corrals wall when a horse stuck her head over the fence. Penny stopped dead in her tracks and stared. Tilted her head back and forth a couple of time and looked at me like, that’s the biggest dog I’ve ever seen!

She was always on “duty.” Watching where we all were, is everyone here, is everyone OK? If Cindi and I weren’t in the same room, she would spend time with Cindi, then check on me, then Cindi, oh yeah, better check the back yard. Whenever I was in the back yard, she was with me. I sometimes get into trouble doing Honey Do’s and she was there to supervise. Since she left, the back yard is kind of a hard place to go.

Cindi and Penny would go on power walks, I power stroll, so they would get really far out and Penny would turn, spot me and come racing back to check on me and then back to Cindi. She didn’t need no leash on her walks, she would pick a route and we would follow. She was always watching, checking everywhere and everything just making sure all was good.

I only heard her growl at someone twice. Once was when my ex-boss, came up on her a bit quicker than Penny thought prudent. The other time, she and I were sitting on tailgate of the truck while Cindi was inside getting us some ice cream. 2 fella’s started walking towards us and Penny stood up and gave them boys the Border Collie eye and growled big time. I told them Penny’s not too socialable and for them to just move on.

She was a wonderful big sister to Shelby. Quiet, all observing, a Border Collie nip or Stare would let Shelby know, don’t do that…don’t even think of doing that. I only saw Penny make a “suggestion” once and it was like, girl, I told you once, don’t be doing that! And Shelby didn’t do it.

I miss the eye to eye contact, I miss having a dog smarter than I am, I miss her supervising me and I miss taking her to visit the the folks at the retirement home. They loved Penny, she wasn’t all over them or pushy, she was very much a regal, beautiful girl and they knew she was special. I really miss My Baby Girl!

That’s what I called Penny, my baby girl. When she came to live with us all she wanted was a walk, some love and a family to take care of. The day she left us was the most difficult day I’ve ever been through. She graced us with her presence for almost 15 years and now, just like that, she’s gone. We knew it was time for her to leave and we tried the best we could to make her as comfortable as she could be. We all were sitting on the floor, I had Penny’s head in my lap, Cindi was petting her. She knew we loved her and we told her again as she left.

It’s been a year now. I think of her and smile and sometimes laugh, then tear up. John, Bernie and Linda’s dad, took a photo of her a couple of months before she died. It’s a straight on closeup of her face, they sent us a copy printed on canvas. It’s perfect, it’s her and I love it. I thank John and Diane everytime we see them. It means so much to us, so,so much.

She was and still is, My Baby Girl and she is greatly missed.