Now, while some people might look at February 8^th as the anniversary of the start of the great elk die-off, I don't.

Nor does the wife.

February 8^th is the day I lost the little maskless heeler.

The frigid hike across the snow-blasted prairie, following tracks that got fainter and fainter as the blowing snow filled them in. Until at last I had to give up, four or five miles and four hours later.

The hours spent trying to get back to the truck, and failing because the road had drifted in too bad to pass, leaving the rig there overnight.

And most horrid of all, finally crawling into the new, warm bed, knowing our smallest pack member wasn't there, was out alone in the blizzard somewhere.

If she was alive at all.

No, February 8^th will not be remembered well in our lives.

Unlike February 12^th, when we will celebrate her return with some sort of special meal for her, her sister and their Mom.

When I left the bedroom, she was snugged hard against her Alpha's legs, in a fitful dream. We have to wonder what experiences are in her dreams, now.

Her sister, on the other hand, or more specifically on the wife's lap, wasn't sleeping at all. She got surprised by her boy walking in the house this evening, having hitched a ride home from college. Then, ten minutes later, after accepting a face-washing from his heeler, signing his tax form and insurance check, and giving his mother two hugs, he left.

Off to the high school band concert, and then a late night drive all the way back to University Town.

The masked heeler, however, knows nothing of this, and is laying awake as long as possible, hoping he'll be home at any second. But she knows, really. You can see the disappointment in her tail.

But, as an early taste of the celebration to come in four days, here's a shot of the heeler sisters, taken last month. The little maskless one wearing the same scarf that saved her.

(And yes, I'm sure she's wearing the same scarf. They have their initials in them. One, because I know they fit a little different, and so it is best to keep the same scarf on the same heeler. And two, because I got tired of the looks of disgust they gave me when I tried to put a scarf smelling like her sister on the wrong heeler.)