As the old saying goes, this was the worst and the best Christmas for us.

The weather was so nice Christmas Eve day that I had the door leading to the sun deck open and also the gate off the deck open.
The hounds were coming and going and I wasn't paying a whole lot of attention to them.
Around 1 30 I was giving each of the dogs a cookie. Ben, Sam and Princess only have to hear the lid of the cookie bucket and they come flying from where ever they are.
Bridgett, being deaf would miss out if I didn't take the cookie to her.
When it was only Ben and Sam that came to get a cookie I thought at first that Princess must be sleeping in the office.
I called her and checked every room. She wasn't in the house so I called out side. Nothing. I went out looking for her first on the property then out and about.
After about an hour I stopped in at a neighbors to see if she had seen her. My neighbor said a fellow had shown up at her door about an hour before with "A Tall Skinny Light Brown Dog" on a rope asking if it was her dog.
I was horrified to think someone had my dog on a rope, relieved that she at least hadn't been hit by a car and more than a bit cross that my neighbor didn't realize it was one of my greyhounds!
I called the local Greyhound rep who came over right away to help look for her. Sharon, her husband and their daughter also came to help search as well as my daughter and son-in-law and my two grandsons.
We were out until dark with no luck.
Christmas morning Rob was out first thing to see if she was around.
I ended up unwell and in bed Christmas afternoon even though I was supposed to be making the Christmas dinner. I know it was just stress over Princess being missing.
The day ended and family were ready to leave. Colin, (7 year old grandson) was first to go to the door.
I was still in bed. I heard him saying "PRINCESS, ITS PRINCESS PRINCESS IS HOME"

I don't know who was happiest. Us or Princess. She didn't know who to go to first. She was so excited to be home and of course we were all trying to get to her to hug and pet her.

She had been tied up somewhere because part of a rope was still attached to her collar. She had chewed through it to make her escape and find her way home.
She had been missing for about 32 hours.
Our granddaughter said she is our Christmas Miracle. I do believe she is right.