Leila's Mountain

We christened the mountain 'Leila's Mountain' after we brought Leila here to live when she was 8 weeks old. I say 'we' but I was actually on a trip back to the UK when hubby picked her up from our expat friends, Lisa & Joe, in Licinella. Hubby & Leila were to spend the best part of 11 days together before I returned home, so I guess it was always on the cards that she would be 'his' dog rather than 'ours'. Whilst I was away, hubby kept me updated with daily skype calls & e-mailed me photos - the e-mail with this next pic attached asked for washing instructions;

I told him she needed to go on the delicates/silk setting, although handwash was probably best. As soon as she arrived, Leila seemed to know she was in puppy heaven - we have just under an acre of garden - and she explored more & more of it with each passing day. She would quite often follow me down to the washing line in the olive grove and then stay down there for hours, sitting under a mature tree and looking out over the valley, almost as if she was surveying her kingdom (or should that be 'queendom' if I'm to be PC?) As she grew older, Leila began to explore further afield. We used to walk her up the mountain every day but she would often take herself off for a walk, disappearing for maybe 30 minutes at a time at first, but gradually building up the time until she'd be gone for at least an hour. That's when the mountain truly became hers.

And why did I choose today to write about Leila? Because it's 4 months exactly since she died. Totally unexpectedly, some time between 2 am and 6am on Saturday 9th March. Hubby buried her at the end of the olive grove & planted a tree for her to lie under as it grows. This will always be Leila's Mountain, because Leila will never leave it. RIP Leila 21/2/12 - 9/3/13