About 3am this morning, I woke to hear Grace climbing up the stairs. She was having trouble, struggling on each step, and when she reached the 2d floor, she collapsed in the bedroom.

I picked her up and put her on the bed, where it is comfy with a warm polartek fleece comforter. But the night's sleep was over for me as I monitored her. She let me touch her stomach, so it wasn't an intestinal thing.

I think it's arthritis from the cold or she sprained her rear leg again, like last time.

It was sub-zero temperatures in the morning and so, instead of taking her on our usual walk, I opened the back door and followed her into the fenced back yard. She stumbled off the back porch and collapsed in the back yard.

This time she was in more pain, whining and she did not want me to come near her to pick her up. I was a helpless big baby standing over her, and I started crying.

I don't care what the neighbors think.

Eventually, I was able to carry her back inside where she dropped in the carpeted Dining Room. At least she didn't seem to be in any pain by then, she just wanted to lay there, so I brought in the water dish and placed it next to her.

I was on the phone with the vet as soon as they opened at 8am.

They weren't immediately available but they called me back soon enough. They agreed they think it's a sprained knee like last time and told me to give her aspirin. Or maybe it was the cold, and I could buy some glucosamine chondroitin stuff for dog arthritis...

I know she's over ten years old and she's gotten more and more white hair in her, spreading slowly from her muzzle and her stomach. In the last year, her dark eyes have started taking on a milky haze. I suppose it's all part of life.

I've been very lucky to have a dog like her and I hope we still have some more time.