Molly(s)

A few days after Christmas, we lost our dear Border Collie Molly. Her health had been declining gradually but we of course were all a little in denial. A few days after Christmas, Mom noticed her staggering when she got up. Dad took her to the vet that same day and he came home without her.

When Dad walked in that evening, the first thing out of my mouth was “Where’s Molly?” In retrospect, I sounded like a child and regret to this day that I asked. Dad held out his hands and shook his head. He was unable to speak. None of us were. Mom and I looked at each other in shock. I quickly turned my head and went back to washing dishes as I didn’t want anyone to see my tears.   

Dad and Molly were best friends for many years. She was constantly by his side and a tremendous help in the barn. To quote Dad “She has saved me a lot of steps.” Molly was an incredibly smart dog. At times, I felt like she could almost speak. Like humans, animals of course have their own distinct personality. And Molly’s was very special.

We were not sure how Dad would react. Many times, I’ve said “I do not want to be on the farm the day Molly goes to dog heaven.” And there I was right smack dab in the middle of it. Dad took it better than we thought we would. We were also shocked when he started talking right away about getting another dog. With his birthday right around the corner in February, we decided a puppy would be a perfect gift for him.

We contacted a couple of breeders and finally settled on one who told us we could have a puppy ca. late February – early March. We all contributed to the total cost and then told Dad our plans. He seemed upbeat about it right away. He then surprised us by saying he would call this new dog Molly as well. I recall thinking this was a bit odd but his reasoning was sound: “My memory is so bad I will just call her Molly anyway so why not do so from the start.” Molly it was.

Mom, Dad, David and Karen made a trek up to the breeders at the Western end of the Island to pick out the puppy in mid February. Dads once again choose a female pup who was also the runt of the litter. Within a few weeks, she arrived at the farm...and the farm hasn’t been the same since.

Mom endured the first few weeks of puppy craze with more patience than anyone I know. My favourite story involved a vase of roses. After knocking it over and have all the waters and flowers fall on her head, Molly didn’t know what to do. Hearing Mom make her way out to kitchen must have intensified the situation because by the time Mom reached the entry to the kitchen, she met Molly galloping down the hallway with a rose in her mouth.

As soon as it was warm enough, Molly moved from the house to the barn. My telephone conversations with Mom always contain a few entertaining Molly stories. And within a few weeks, I will get to see her again. I adore her. When I had to go home unexpectedly in April, I also got to meet Molly. I loved cuddling with her and our daily walks. Here are some photos I took of her in April...expect some more in the Fall!