It wasn't much of a surprise that when Jake passed away, Maisie mourned. How long her sorrow lasted, and how deep it was, that was startling. And though at first she was loath to give up her "I am the puppy here" throne to little Walt, those days are gone.

Here's Maisie with her beloved Jake on the Hut Road in the Cove:

And here she is with Walt yesterday:

It's been a long, long time -- 18 months, to be exact -- since she has smiled like that. And look how Walt is smiling with her.


In other news, here's how they spent the better part of an hour yesterday:

And my personal favorite (it's the Tiny Labrador's back legs that get me) :