Aging - by Phod

Dear pals,

Lady and Man have noticed that my age is really starting to show. I am 12 or 13 years old now (we pretend I am 12, but this makes me about 80 in human years), and have lived with my people for almost 11 years. Lee and I are our people's first old dogs as due to illness and accident our angel pack mates lived to 8 and 6 respectively. 

Lady is all the things about this. She is appreciative and filled with joy at being at this stage (how lucky is she to have had us in her life for so long) and devastated by it (who is she if she isn't Hailey and Zaphod's Lady and what does she do without us) and realistic (the circle of life, with great love comes great loss etc. etc.).  I am far less contemplative and more taking each day as I go. Lady is adapting this mindset too and while she is not pretending the future isn't coming, she is focusing more on the now. 

I sleep far more soundly then I ever have. Lady can leave the office and I don't even move. I also apparently snore more. 

I have a lot less stamina on walks, swimming and I really don't want to play fetch. My back end in particular seems stiff and I am more prone to tripping. I am also much slower and don't really run anymore. I am also prone to being a bit more anxious if there is any change in my routine. I am very set in my ways.

In spite of these challenges, I am still happy and active enough. Lady was really thinking about my aging as we were walking to the lake last week. It was the same day from the Trouble on Tuesday post, I had made it to the lake. Before my people could move the short anit-goose fence, I had jumped over it and was enjoying the water.  I may be an old man, but I still have some tricks in me! 

I heard my people tell Callie's people since this may be my last summer, I am going to get to go to the lake most days (weather permitting of course). So being old isn't such a bad thing.

Your senior pal, Phod