Buttercup at Crystal Crescent shows she's getting a lot stronger

We took a trip out to Crystal Crescent Beach this week - the weather has been so nice.

The last time we were there was shortly after Bubby's arrival, and Buttercup's experience that day was much different

She had a fabulous time playing, but she was stil pretty weak from not having regular exercise - and it really showed in the photos - painfully so - but in today's pictures - you can really see the improvement, and it's beautiful to see

Her back legs are straight, she's able to keep up with Bubby - and you can tell that she's not running around on her back knee joints rather than her back feet - it was a wondrous thing to watch.

Even when we arrived I didn't have to carry her down over the rocks - she ran right down over them herself - and it's been years since she's done that.

It it proof positive that even very old dogs can improve physically if you let them, and there's nothing else wrong with them than a bit of arthritis or something minor like that.

Buttercup and Bubby are having so much fun together right now - I'm so glad I got him for her after Charlie and Daisyy died - she got to have a normal little dog life for a little while before it's her time to go.

And by the look of these photos -

She is not going anywhere in the near future.

Can you believe that she is 17 or 18 years old?

There was an article in the paper yesterday about a 20 year old dog and how spry they were - I can definitely see Buttercup being 20 years old and still completely mobile, mentally cognitive and still able to do anything that she wants to do.

She knows of course that she's never allowed to die!

The part of Crystal Crescent Beach that we go to is very remote - but obviously other people do go there - someone has made something of a totem pole there out of sea garbage - it's pretty cute.