Muse: a woman, or a force personified as a woman, who is the source of inspiration for a creative artist.
Going by this definition, Arleigh, my Tibetan Terrier is definitely my muse.
I had no intention of getting a dog. “No more dogs,” I declared my heart broken over the recent death of my last dog, Grace.
And then the stars aligned such that I discovered the Tibetan Terrier, a breed unknown to me, a breeder, Gamine Tibetan Terriers and finally after one false start (We thought we were getting a male puppy, which is why she has a man’s name) Arleigh Burke. Of course, fate ensured our dog would be a female because a muse is always female.
Smart, beguiling, stubborn and ever persuasive, Arleigh keeps a close eye on this writer. I give her full credit for inspiring me to create one of the new characters introduced in Francesca’s Foundlings: Thatch, the black and white TT who comes to live in Lynton.
I think Arleigh is my dog Cooper’s daughter. I too am totally taken with TTs. I am sitting in the parking lot of dog training with two Tibetan Terriers in the car. Playing around on my phone I found a relative.
Hi Jane,
Yes Arleigh is Cooper’s daughter. She was called Prancer in the litter. I think she looks a lot like Cooper. She runs the household.