Where Are You, Alex?

Alex is missing. The housesitter let us know a few days ago. We suspected that Alex had just wandered into a corner of the yard and laid down and passed away. But after several people searched the yard for us we have had to come to the conclusion that somehow she wandered away from the house. She's nearly 18 years old, completely deaf, mainly blind and has horrible arthritis. Where could she go? It's been several days now, and we are not hopeful. Our worst fear is that she wandered away and fell down and couldn't get up. Her voice is nearly gone, so she could have sat there howling and nobody would hear her. Our best hope is that she took herself on a last walk, got tired and laid down forever. In my fantasy little doggie angels whisked down to take her up to Doggie Valhalla where she will have a place of honor.