The Watching, 2008, Misty (c) by Millie Williams

The new puppies were certainly a trial. As with most of the pups born at the Castle, they were quite precocious and allowed to grow up, free from worry with only some manners taught the first few months. Tabitha was a tri color and a girl, Trinity was a red and white boy. They insisted on being called “The Twins” and being exactly alike. They would lie beside their food bowls and eat kibble, one by one, to be sure that each had the exact same amount. Collars and neckerchiefs had to match and their toys were bought in pairs.

They quickly learned how to climb on “Fort Box” to get out of their play pen that contained them during naptime. Although they were allowed free rein most of the time, they were put in the play pen when things were busy and it was feared that someone’s small white paw might get stepped on. When Fort Box was moved to the center of the play pen, they quickly learned how to get on top, make a mighty leap to the top of the crate that was provided for them to nap in and over the side they would go. The baby play pen was boxed up and the Twins were allowed to be part of the family, since there was no way to keep them confined.

During the summer, the Castle was blessed with a small white Westie puppy.

Through a long story and an older owner, the Lady-In-Waiting took in Annie, to be raised as a Castle dog and then returned when she was a few months older. Annie, being a puppy was soon playing with the Twins, who then became the Triplets. “Annie, too!” was a cry heard whenever the twins asked for or received anything, a cookie, a walk, a toy. So the three little dogs, who looked nothing alike at all but loved each other equally, became the same in their hearts. After a short while, Tabitha and Trinity were totally convinced that Annie Too had been born with them, and was a full sibling. It pleased them to think so, did not harm anyone, and so the thoughts to the contrary were left unsaid.

A lovely summer ensued, where the Triplets played in the pool, and made a wonderful clubhouse deep in the Cosmos garden. The cosmos were very tall, some as much as 6 feet, and provided a wonderful place for the pups to go and play and hide treasures and take long naps. The Lady-In-Waiting received reports regularly throughout the day that snoring was heard coming from deep inside the garden, and she knew that her littlest ones were very safe.

There was one unfortunate event in the summer, as one of the Royal footmen had been spray painting a wheelbarrow and placed the half filled can of red paint on the ground while he took a break at the Castle. Shortly thereafter, Mr. Andre was called in for his expertise to remove a layer of red paint from Annie Too, who had seen that there were no white corgis at the Castle, only red ones and black ones, and wanted to be exactly the same. None of the Triplets took responsibility for this action, and Mr. Andre spent the better part of a day cutting hair and removing red paint.

Now that the pups were sleeping in their own beds, pressed together so that they could touch each other at night and feel secure, the wandering began. As with most pups, they would wake up at night and be restless. Sometimes they had to go outside and would wake each other up and go in a group out the special flap door to the garden, where a Royal Footman was always on duty with a string of gay, bright lights so that they could see, and be safe. Sometimes they were hungry and would go to the big kitchen for a snack, where the Royal Chef would leave out a tray of assorted cookies and sliced apples for them. These were taken to the Great Hall and the pups would eat and then often fall asleep in front of the fireplace, where a Royal Footman would check and bring them back to their beds.

One night, having had their snack and discussing what things they would do the next day for fun, a slight creak was heard on the floorboards behind them. Thinking it was the Royal Footman on duty, they continued to chatter, as the Royal Footman would usually just check on them and come back later when they had dozed off. But then they heard someone settling into the rocking chair and then the sound of it rocking, so they turned to see who was there.

Now the pups had never seen this person before. It was a beautiful young lady, with long auburn hair and a sweet smile. There was a small brown terrier in her lap. She had a long dress on and smelled very nice. The pups looked at each other and said “Who are you?” and the pretty lady said “My name is Misty. And this is my friend, Darby. Would you like to hear a story?” The pups, who loved stories of any kind, settled around Misty’s feet and Tabitha offered a bit of half chewed apple to her guest, to be polite. They had covered such things this week in Etiquette Class. Misty smiled and thanked her and then praised her for being such a thoughtful little corgi girl. Trinity introduced his two sisters to Misty and followed this with a short corgi bow and Misty laughed and clapped her hands. Annie Too looked very serious about it all and politely offered a small white grubby paw to be shaken and Misty said “Pleased to meet you” which for some reason sent the puppies off into a fit of giggling. Misty giggled, too. Darby got down and sat next to Annie Too, and they wagged tails at each other.

And in the light of the fire, the pretty lady spun a magical story, filled with wonder and happiness. The little pups were rapt in their attention, and is the case with young dogs, fell asleep after a bit, not from boredom, but from being tired and needing to go back to sleep. After they were asleep, Misty gently patted each one, rolled Trinity over on his side as he was lying on one of his back legs in an awkward position and whispered in Annie Too’s ear that she was the sweetest Westie Misty had ever met. Then she picked up Darby and they left quietly.

Later in the evening, of course, the Royal Footman wrapped each in a soft fleece blanket and returned them to their beds.

This went on for some weeks. Every night the pups wandered, and every night Misty and Darby would appear with a new and exciting story. The pups would race outside to tend to their business, grab a cookie and flee to the Great Hall each night as soon as they woke up.

Now and then one of the pups would mention the lovely young lady to someone in the Castle. But confusion followed as the human or older corgi would say “Misty? You mean Misty the horse came into the hall last night? I didn’t know she could do that.” The pup would say “No! It’s Misty!” There were never bits of hay left behind and no one ever heard hoof beats walking around the Great Hall. The Lady-In-Waiting thought the Royal Footman had swept up the hay, and the Royal Footman thought that the Lady-In-Waiting had swept it up. Thinking that the pup was confused, the matter was soon forgotten in the busy-ness of the everyday life of the Castle. The Lady-In-Waiting mentioned it to a Royal Footman, to be sure that some apples were available in a basket in the Great Hall, should Misty want some. And to be sure, Misty did take an apple now and then, to nibble on while she watched the sleeping puppies. But it was not the horse, it was a lovely lady and only the pups ever saw her. So no one ever knew that a human was telling the wonderful stories.

As The Watching approached, the Castle was as busy as busy could be! First, the decorations had to be put up. All the Castle’s trees were cleaned of snow so that decorations could be placed on them. Neighbors from far and wide brought borrowed stepladders and the Royal Footmen rigged up some scaffolding. As was the custom each year, a lottery was held for each committee so that everyone had a chance at the more favored trees. The less favored trees were not as large nor as beautiful, but the animals were all encouraged to make those trees look as beautiful as possible. It was not the trees’ fault that they were smaller. The committees for trees were many and varied. Esmerelda, who was a flamingo, well, at least everyone thought she was (she was really a refugee turkey from Thanksgiving) always had a group of younger corgi girls and animals who worked on making their tree the pinkest, most vibrant tree with as much flair as they could. This year they had found small flashing pink lights to place on it. The youngest babies usually ended up with some of the newer, smaller trees so that they could reach to decorate them. The Elder corgis always had the most interesting tree. They had much experience and had seen much in their travels, and brought new ideas each year to their tree, as well as new color combinations and items to be used. The wild animals didn’t have much of a committee, but now and then one dashed in to help for a while, then dashed back out to the woods. Another highly popular tree was the Woodland Animals Food tree, which was kept up all through the winter, and decorated by the Lady-In-Waiting herself. On this tree was placed containers of peanuts, popcorn strings, popcorn balls, suet in various shapes that the Royal Chef created. Around the base was fresh hay and some grain scattered in and around the hay. A heated bucket was nearby for water. This way, wild friends could come and have something to eat if they were too shy to approach the Castle.

The horses of the Castle, Jacques, Misty, Magnolia and of course, Blanco, the white burro, always had the same tree. It was decorated with apples and carrots and white bread that the Royal Chef used cookie cutters shaped like horses on. Of course, some of this never made it to the tree. Misty was confused when the corgis would walk by and tell her “good job” for taking care of the pups at night, by telling them stories until they went to sleep. She tossed her head and pawed at the ground. It was her way of saying “What stories?”

A new committee had been formed this year, that of the Triplets. And of course, pups tended to decorate as pups before them had decorated. But a new element was added in, Annie Too’s contribution. For everything had to have a tartan plaid theme and after a while, the tree shaped up to be one of the best trees that pups had ever decorated.

During this time, the pups received their instructions in the proper behavior during The Watching. It was a solemn time but joyful. First Watchers were those animals over age 6 months on the date of The Watching. Younger animals cried or got too excited or asked questions during the event. Absolute silence was required. St. Frank took charge of The Watching classes, to explain what was expected and what was not considered good manners. All the babies listened intently. Some were on the younger side and others were closer to 18 months old, having been too young the year before to attend. Each was given a special new collar, blue for the boys and red for the girls. Each collar had a star tag with the animal’s name engraved on it, and a small jewel. These were only given to First Watchers and only First Watchers could wear them on this most special of nights. Most animals never wore them again, but put them away with other treasures they had, the ear from a favorite baby toy or a rock that their mother had given them. The youngsters gave the collars to the Lady-In-Waiting to keep them safe until the special day. No humans were allowed at The Watching but the humans all knew what it was about and did not ask to go along on this most special day of all the animals.

The pups and others drew names and made Watching presents for those names. Each animal got two names. Puppies made things like dyed macaroni necklaces. Annie Too drew Blanco’s name and she thought she would never get enough macaroni on the string for his multicolored necklace. Trinity drew the Emperor’s name and worked very hard at making a construction paper collage of a large fish, since the Emperor loved to fish and often took a few corgis with him to the stream. And Tabitha drew Misty’s name. Now this confused Tabbi, because she wasn’t sure which Misty it was. And when she asked others, they seemed to be as confused. After much thinking and some discussion with the other two Triplets, they decided to play it safe. So Tabbi had the Royal Chef help her make a jar of apple sauce and she helped him make homemade peppermints (and getting her all sticky in the process), because she knew that Misty the horse liked these things and she knew that Misty the human liked apples and had seen her licking on a peppermint stick while she told a story one night. These were decorated with bows and a crookedly lettered tag that said “Misty” on it. And finally, after what seemed like years of waiting, it was time. The weather was quite cold this year and an unusual amount of snow had fallen, so that the Royal Footmen had had to go and plow the path to The Watching field. It was several miles away, and the field itself had to be plowed. The Emperor had been concerned about it being done in time, but St Frank, St. Nick, St. Val and some other Saints had pitched in to help. A little Heavenly assistance was always appreciated.

Everyone got up early that morning, so much to do to prepare! Everyone stood in line for a touch up brushing or to have adjusted a festive bandana or arrange some bells on a collar. First Watchers ran about, proudly showing off their new collars and star tags. The Royal Footman, Royal Seamstresses and Royal Maids were busy decorating the wagons and sleds that were to be used, and Princess Cheveu herself was braiding the horses’ manes and tail and decorating them with bits of holly and mistletoe. The Royal Chef was packing up many interesting package of food and hot broth and bowls. Everyone had a small breakfast of an egg and a piece of toast, and when they got home, there would be a huge breakfast awaiting them, along with the Gift Giving. Mr. Andre, the Castle’s hairdresser, was helping St. Frank arrange bedding for elder corgis in comfortable areas of the wagons and sleds, and St. Nick and St. Val were arranging the order of procession and making sure that smaller animals, like the squirrels, had a safe place to ride. Many preferred Jacque’s back, as it was broad and very furry and warm. St. Frank made sure he helped each elder animal to its place, touching them in sore spots to be sure there was no pain at this very special time. The First Watchers were rounded up and when they seemed to be so unruly and excited as to be impossible, St. Frank gave a whistle and Brother Wolf appeared out of the woods. The youngsters all had large round eyes as they watched St. Frank’s best friend. “This is Brother Wolf” explained St. Frank. “Will you all please help him find a good place to walk and keep him safe?” The youngsters all nodded and didn’t notice as Brother Wolf safely led them to the correct spot in the parade. They flocked around him in admiration.

At last all was ready and the lead animal, Blanco the white burro, led off pulling his small red sleigh with jingle bells. In the sled was the Princess and the oldest of the animals, well wrapped against the cold. They knew this could be their Last Watching and they were happy to be going along, next year they would have a different view. St. Frank’s briefcase was filled with applications for jobs this year, but he had filled all the available positions. However, there would be new jobs in the New Year for those applications. The Triplets looked around as they left, wondering why Misty was not there to wave goodbye, but they didn’t see her at all. The three little youngsters marched along, festively arrayed in their yellow and black and red tartan scarves, which Annie Too had insisted that one of the Royal Seamstresses make for them.

Several hours and several miles later, they arrived. The sun was beginning its descent in the sky and they had about an hour of light left, so much haste was made to get everyone settled. Blankets were spread and groups arranged. Elders were placed up front where they were again touched, this time for the Gift of Clear Sight and Good Hearing. A special section was set aside for those who could no longer walk, the Wheelcorgis and those who were weak at walking. Another special place was set aside for the First Watchers, and St. Frank would sit with these animals. Brother Wolf sat in the center and all the First Watchers cuddled up to his warm and full coat.

As dusk settled, the Saints passed out warm broth and cookies for snacks and made sure that the elders were warm enough and tucked in. A few younger animals were called over to lie on either side of the eldest and warned to let them sleep until it was time. The night was clear and cold and you could see the animals’ breaths. Many dozed off and had a nice nap. In the woods, there were wild animals who attended, many too shy to come out and sit in the open field. Silent and opaque angels moved among the trees to be sure everyone was safe and comfortable and warm enough.

And then…one corgi who had been scanning the sky said “oh!” and that woke up the corgi sleeping next to him, who then sat up for a better look and that got the attention of the squirrels sitting just in front of them on a branch who gave a chatter or two. Like a ripple, the alert passed through the crowd. For in the sky was a light blue shimmer of color, just bits and pieces and barely discernible. As the animals awakened, more and more color cascaded down and then up. Pinks and blues and greens and flashes of purple. Lovely, moving, swaying color. Color that made their eyes almost hurt but hurt in a good and pleasant way. Soon everyone was awake. The First Watchers were agog with wonder. They had not been told what would happen, only that it was so wonderful that there was not a way to describe it. And absolute silence reigned, except for a sigh now and then from an elder animal, who had never seen such a wonderful display. Because every year, it was different and somehow better to see.

For a while the colors rioted in the sky and no one could take their eyes off of it. Then a song began, very quietly, all around them. It increased in volume to a moderate amount and it was a song no one had ever heard. The colors began to fade and the song, too, and then everyone’s attention was drawn to the valley at the foot of the hill. And through the mist, the animals could see figures. There was a small barn and in front of the barn a figure, no, two figures. The First Watchers leaned forward to concentrate better. One figure was a man, one was a woman, and in the woman’s lap was something. What was it? “It’s a baby!” whispered Annie Too, who had very sharp eyes and although St. Frank frowned at the breach of etiquette, his brown eyes sparkled at the delight Annie Too was displaying.
And it was. The Baby, the most precious of all Babies. The Baby was awake this year, sitting up and looking around, pointing and gurgling at what He saw. He saw the donkey that brought His Mother on a long ride to deliver Him safely. He saw a cow who made low mooing sounds. He saw three Wise Men who approached slowly with strange beasts called camels following them. The camels, at some signal, slowly laid down, front end first. The First Watchers gasped, having never seen such beasts before. Then the Shepherds came, with small gifts wrapped in soft cloth. Their sheep followed, too, and laid down in respect and honor to the Baby. The Baby clapped his hands and cooed. The border collie came in slowly and laid his head in the Lady’s lap and the Baby pulled on its ears. A titter went through the watching crowd of animals. The border collie gave His little Feet a sweet lick or two.

There was a small insistent “tap, tap, tap” and attention was drawn skyward. A beautiful lady named Melissa who was holding a small baton was directing a huge choir of humans and animals. At her feet, sat a beautiful sheltie named Mystery. And then another song started, slowly, slowly, and then increasing in volume. Suddenly, they were there. All of those who had left life on Earth go to somewhere else. All those who had left, suddenly and slowly, human and animal. Everyone strained to see and to get a better look. The sky was filled with figures. Mystery

The first dog everyone noted was a yellow lab named Rex. He missed his mother, Catherine, but was happy to be young again. Lasca, a Japanese Chin was sitting next to him, woofing sweetly. Karen’s mom was there, holding Liam, who had been called very young from lymphoma. She waved and Liam barked to those down on the ground. Everyone looked so happy!

Liam (right)

Denise’s mom was there, also, and she had Bridget next to her, a brave little corgi who could not walk at the end, but who was now standing, and on the other side was Dunkin’, along with Merry and Dink. On the ground Nikkers and Jelly Bean and Dash were so excited to see their brother again! Forrest was there, and he barked a message to the corgis below to take to his family. “Don’t worry about me! I’m happy up here! And nothing hurts!” he called out. Fuzzy the guinea pig was there, anxiously looking for Syndee and Honey Bear. Fuzzy churred a little song and the two corgis could not wait to get home to tell the child, Maggie, that he was healthy again. Tuffy the cat was there, and sitting with him was McKinley and Cruiser. Cruiser had suddenly waked up and there he was over the Bridge. He didn’t have time to say good bye, but he was happy and knew that LyndaMom would be over one day to see him again.

Dunkin' (left)

Lasca (right)

On the ground, the cats, Teddy and Lucky scanned the sky. And there he was! It was Chip, who had been so ill and had been called early to prevent any more pain and difficulty breathing. The kitties studied him carefully and then purred quietly, kneading their blanket with their feet in delight at seeing him again. Melinda’s Dad held Sassy and waved at all the animals below. Bofus sat at his feet and barked his silly head off. Zane, a sweet tricolor corgi sat next to Sam Sam the basset hound and Jaker. Sam Sam and Jaker missed SusanMom very much but were happy to be healthy and have so much love from The Boss. Cowboy was there with his friends, Ruby and Katie and Simon. He had been restored to youth and beauty, as they all had. McCabe sat on the edge of the crowd, knowing that his beloved PeggyMom could not be at The Watching, but barking a message of love to her and telling her he was okay. Everyone looked up to McCabe, he was so gentle and friendly with all the other animals.

McCabe (right)

Spook meowed down at Miss Emily, Skeezix, Cooney Grey, Prince Quincy and Snicker. They were relieved to see him, he had been so old and now just look at his shiny new coat!

The song continued on and on as everyone got a good look at those who had left but were just a breath away. There was a pair of corgis, Snickers and Junior, who had been present at previous Watchings, but were there now with their dear friend, Freya, a greyhound who could now run like the wind. She sat up straight and wagged her tail very hard, whacking her friends on either side of her, who never said a word, just got up and shifted to a new point directly in front of her where they could be safe.

Another human, ChrisDad, held Tiger, who had been called too young. He beamed as he sang the song and Tiger reached up and gave him a kiss now and then. Max searched for Izzy, who had left Earth doing what corgis love to do, chasing squirrels. Izzy waved and called out that there were squirrels at the Bridge, too, but no one got hurt chasing them. Henry searched the sky for Thomas and found him and was relieved that Thomas looked so good and felt so much better. On either side of Thomas were Lady, Tess and Derry. And two Kallista dogs, Great Great I forget how many greats Aunt Micah, who was radiant in her beauty as well as her soul, and sitting on the other side was the impish Isabelle Bite Me, who was ever playful and was running again on sound legs. It brought tears to the Kallista dogs to see their beloved relatives again, happy and sound.

Micah and Isabelle

Chloe was there with her gingerbread man. She loved him so much that the Boss allowed her to bring him along with her as a special favor. Her bark was somewhat muffled because Ginger was in her mouth. Her eyes were bright and shiny, as she saw her loved ones in the crowd. Theo was there and he searched below for Alice, his replacement. He had looked long and hard for just the right corgi to heal Scooter’s heart and Alice had done a great job. “Thanks, Alice!” he barked heartily. Iris, the cardigan corgi looked carefully at each face and there he was! Mako was happy and whole again and in no pain. She gave a little whine of happiness and then remembered she was supposed to be quiet and just waved as hard as she could. Sam, Tess and Izzy searched and found Ripley. And he was there, searching for them, too. Brady and Maggie sat side by side, glowing in the starlight. Digby, who had had trouble walking sat next to Lucy Rose, and barked down at Roxie and Cricket. Digby was so happy to be able to not only walk, but he could fly now, too! Gwen also had trouble walking and was a former Wheelcorgi. She could run so fast now, and often challenged Digby to races, on the ground and in the air. Lily was thrilled to see her old friend doing so well.

Gwen (top)
Digby (bottom)

Rhian was there, and Murphy. Murphy was pleased that Dakota had taken his job, and he often whispered in Dakota’s ear when Dakota was sleeping that “Mom likes her toes liked after a shower” and “if you give sad eyes KayeMom will give you that last bite of dinner”. It had worked out well for Dakota and Dakota barked thanks up to Murphy. A human named MikeDad sat next to his best friend, a German Shepherd named Cody. Cody had stayed by the Bridge until MikeDad passed over because Cody was so faithful to his human. Bindi was there, singing the song, and Fletcher, who had both been called too young and due to an accident. They had bonded during their time at the Bridge. Queue was free from the ravages of DM and was dancing from one foot to the other. Henry was sitting nearby and he sought for and found Etta in the crowd. How happy he was to see her and how he missed her. “It’s really nice up here!” he called out to her. Etta got tears in her eyes when she saw Henry. Levee, a large brown hound with soulful eyes and the softest ears that had ever been made, howled her joy to the heavens.

Sweet Sara (left)

KenDad was holding Miss Lady Blue and both looked absolutely radiant. Ollie and Abby were there and Abby had introduced everyone to smoked Gouda cheese. Sweet Sara clutched a branch of lilac and waved it now and then. Grandma Reba sat next to her fluffy grandson, Gunnar. Cinderella was present with two brand new kidneys, for which she was very grateful and how much better she felt! Katie the Cardigan was there and how she missed her SharonMom! And look! It was Woodie the traveling corgi, whose incredible journeys had been shared with everyone. And now he had made the Ultimate Journey! A human named JeanMom held Miss Candy and cared for her until Kay’s father would make his trip to the Bridge to care for her himself. JeanMom gave Miss Candy a big kiss and held her up so that everyone could see how young she looked.

Kendal sat on the ground and fretted. Where was she? Oh, over there! She stood up for a better look. Yes, it was her beloved Lhasa friend, Hayley. Oh, how happy Kendal was to see Hayley! Aussie was next to Hayley, and so was North. MargeryMom, another human, held on tightly to her beloved Billy, who she had missed so much. Now they would always be together. Empress Woo was barking her fool head off. “Look! The Boss gave me new ears!” she called, for her ears had been damaged on Earth and had been missing. Corey and Jessie saw her and marveled at how beautiful she was!

Dylan (right)

Phoebe and Benjamin sat next to Dylan, their new buddy, and together they barked down to Dixie. “Tell Mom I love her!” Dylan called. Cozmo looked up and recognized Kinsey Rose. He thought he would never find her in the crowd, but there she was, shiny and well brushed and happy. A human, Judi’s father, was standing among the animals and humans, just beaming. Under one strong arm he had Rudy, King of Hearts and under the other was Peanut. Sadie Rose and Abby looked up in wonder at them!

Then a corgi caught everyone’s eye nearly at the same time. It was George the Gentle. His white ear stood out like a beacon. Next to him was Lily Ruth Fluff and her magnificent carrot orange fluffy coat. The singing slowed and then ended. It was very quiet in the still night. George and Lily stepped forward and recited a favorite Psalm. It was not in the book that the Boss had written, but it was written into the hearts of Corgis and good animals everywhere.

George (left) and Lily Ruth (right)

“Wither thou goest,

There shalt surely be

Food, fodder and lots of water;

Hills to climb, grass to sleep in

Pools to cool and water

The sweetest in the world.

Thou shalt lie down next to

The lion and the lamb

As thy companions while

You enjoy your repast,

And run fleet as the wind

Through the meadows after

Deer and squirrels,

While the fox shall be your friend

And you explore all the nooks

And crannies of the woods.

There shalt be tasty morsels

At every turn, always of the

Sweetest and most delectable

And all shall be to your liking,

While there shall also be complete

Harmony between thee and

All others that dwell about

You and in the land.

The Boss on High shall provide

All these wonderful things,

And daily you shall thank

Him with joy in your eyes,

A smile on your face, and

Through the dance of your paws.”

(by Claire Wagner)

Cammie (right)

The animals below all sighed, for they loved this Psalm above all others. Another sweet song began and Merlin waved to Marble and Scarlett below. Maya, a Wheaten coated terrier, yapped happily along with the song. Sadie and Blue Bear searched for and found Cammie up above, who could now eat anything she wanted to, and did! Priya and Cowboy saw Billy who was sitting next to Sweet Spirit and Chewie and she was so glad to see them all looking so happy. Ollie was there in all his splendor, eyes shining bright with life. Cedric and Fergie sat together, reunited again, and waved down to Calvin, who sat up and resisted the urge to bark back. Finally he couldn’t stand it anymore and gave one little yap. This encouraged several others to send greetings upwards. Jordan, Machias and Cutler barked, too, at Audrey, who they missed so very much. Sun, Moon and Star were together in a group, and Izod, Boo and Pippi sat at the feet of Scooter, a beautiful horse who tossed his head and whinnied. Zane danced about in his shiny black coat.

Fannie, a red and white Pembroke sat next to Toby. They barked their happiness down to Jetson, Ella and Higgins. As Fanny barked, a shower of loose hair cascaded down. "Oops!" she said, and blushed. The nearest animals on the ground giggled. They couldn't wait to tell KatrinaMom and CarleenMom about their silly girl. A handsome man stood tall next to silly Fannie and held a beautiful sable girl named Annie Rose. Annie Rose had a special collar on with a tag that read "Angel on Earth" as she had been used for therapy work and reading education with children. She not only took care of her family, but helped others, too. There was no higher calling for a pet than this! The handsome man, of course, was her BillDad and there had been such a joyous reunion when she crossed over, although leaving broken hearts behind. They often sneaked down to sit and watch TV with Maggi, who of course, did not realize they were present, but felt comfort in her heart at those times.

A husky named Sidney Beans sat with Sassy and Trev and were looked over by a human called Sally. Sally was young now, and she had no wrinkles and she waved at all the animals below. Logan, a pyrynees, sat with Foxworth, Samantha, Shadow, Hedydd, Trixie and Dutchess, who accompanied him for his first Watching on the the other side. Buster, who had an amazing job helping to raise a child called Stephanie, was happy on this side, too, and followed Stephanie often through the day as she lived her life on Earth. Ursa, Miss Hazel and Chrissie looked down with approval on Micah, named after the great great I forget how many greats Aunt Micah. They had sought for and chosen this special pup of all to heal MegMom’s heart, and what a wonderful job she had done with MegMom! They barked their love down to all.

Molly, the spotted, dotted horse looked down and gave a great whinny to the horses of the Castle and others, who were all Watching. This delighted the horses and there was much shifting and pawing the ground, but all held their silence except for a few accidental snorts here and there. Molly arched her neck and shook her mane and looked more lovely than she ever had before. At Molly's feet was a lovely red and white corgi girl named Connie! She sat up on her haunches and waved both paws at those left on Earth.

Jefferson the Wonder Corgi was present, and Merlin, who waved at the Taflar corgis below. KarenMom, a human who was an artist, sat with them and sang the song in a clear voice. Logan sat in her lap and the animals below recognized him right away. Snickers spotted Nicky and Dancer and waved as hard as he could, trying to form a message of love in his mind that would reach them. And they heard it! Twig saw Willow and was delighted to see her looking well and healthy again. Harry the Cardigan waved his big plume of a tail, and Spock sat next to him, with a paw in the air. Next to him was a human named DennisDad, and in his lap was Mattie, who was clutching a tennis ball in her mouth. Pudge looked down at Foxy, Shalla and Oy and thought “Good job, guys, take care of RhondaMom and ScottDad for me!” Rolls Royce sat nearby and howled his happiness at having nearly 19 years on Earth and eternity at the Bridge.

Tess who was on the ground, spotted Amber a lovely and graceful German Shepherd. Amber looked radiant and called to Tess to tell JoAnnMom that yes, that was Amber’s tail that she thought she felt on the backs of her legs sometimes. Gemma and Raleigh, who had been best buddies were now reunited at the Bridge. Raleigh had been so lonesome for her that he had put in an application with the Boss for a new job and followed her quickly. Jessica and Wiggles and Merlin all sat together and just beamed with happiness and contentment. They were all so happy to be able to look down and see their friends on the Earth again! Mr. Q, another greyhound, and Haifa, a beautiful grey horse were together, too. They missed their EdieMom and BillDad more than they could say.

A special human named LornaMom was sitting with a wonderful corgi named Bart in her lap. Bart had been lost and afraid when he first came over the Bridge but LornaMom was there in her new role as Greeter, and made him her special boy until KathyMom could come over, too. A particularly handsome man, a New Arrival, had made it just in time to be included this year, JohnDad, who loved everyone. He sat with three of his beloved dogs, Aslan, Lady Jane and Thunder. He was restored to youth and vitality and just glowed with love. Weezie was pleased to see Scooter, who she missed so very much. Scooter was next to Jessica, who was Newly Arrived, too, and still a little overwhelmed by everything. But she was very happy! Angel sat with them, also Newly Arrived and was able to find Fern, Puck and Eureka in the animals below. She barked extra loud so that they could hear her words of love and sent a message to BeverlyMom that she was ok and feeling well.

Margarita (left)

Another newly arrived corgi, Margarita, sat in a human’s lap. She looked very, very happy and was glowing with joy. Next to this lady was Darby,Tasha and Zuzu, who was a late arrival. He just accepted a job with the Boss as Field Coordinator for a Play Field. He knew he had broken Peggy and Sam's hearts, and he hoped he was forgiven. He would love them always and wait for them until they came, too.

And then there was Charlie, a rescue who had tried so hard to stay on Earth. But he had been too weak to make it to the Watching. While the others had been on the road, the Boss had called him by his new name, "Charlie, COME!" and being a good dog, Charlie had gone quickly to the One Who made him and been given a quick lesson in what he needed to do on the Heavenly side. He barked down to Rhys, Jerry and Molly RooRoo that he felt so much better and had so much energy and asked forgiveness for his quick leaving.

The Triplets exchanged looks. They knew that human. And they knew Darby. They were not supposed to talk during The Watching, but Annie Too, having the terrier mouth that she did, said “Look! It’s Misty! It’s Misty!” and pointed. All the corgis and animals from the Castle looked up at where she was pointing. And after a moment or two of confusion and a little low mumbling, the word went through the crowd. It wasn’t Misty at all. It was Miss T, or Tasha Tudor as she was known to the humans on Earth. Everyone chuckled at the child’s misunderstanding of the name. Misty. The animals, especially the corgis, rather liked that for a new name for Miss Tudor. And of course, this explained the wondrous stories that she had told the Triplets, of moonlight nights, of magical thoughts, of faraway places. There were many chuckles and smiles as the news of the story spread through the crowd.

Tasha, or Misty, waved to the crowd and gave a brilliant smile. No one could resist and most stood up to get a better look. The corgis had only known Tasha in her older years but now that she was young again, she was breathtaking. Several rescues who had passed over, moved closer in to her, to be able to touch her.

And then, as it did every year, the song got fainter. The figures on the ground slowly disappeared and the figures in the sky lost their brilliance and everyone stood up for a last glimpse and a last thrown kiss to those who had gone away. Many older animals snuffled, knowing this was their last Watching on this side but knowing that next year, they would be part of the joyful crowd in the sky. Others, who had lost a beloved friend or family member, talked about how wonderful and happy everyone had been. Still others resolved to be kinder to those they did not get on well within their family. The arguing and bickering over toys or snacks did not matter. Not at all.

St. Frank got up and gave a short Blessing to all and then after a short time, wanting to delay leaving, everyone began to get up and start back. Angels silently appeared out of the woods to be sure that everything was cleaned up because the animals were all tired and it was a long way back home.

And then the walk began. Much chatter about Misty and Miss T and much laughter at the sweet error that little Annie Too had made, and a hot drink before leaving revived everyone. In a few hours, they would be home, they would have a large, hot breakfast, anything they wanted, a few presents to be opened and then the rest of the day would be spent, peacefully napping and remembering those who were not there with them. And Tabitha finally realized exactly who her present of apple sauce and peppermints was for, and she was very happy.

May you all have a wonderful Christmas with your families and with your pets!

Millie

PS Please feel free to leave Christmas wishes or comments here if you wish! Scroll to the bottom of this page and there is a place to do so, and they can be read by everyone!