Wish I'd Taken My Camera

This post (and all other animal related posts for here on) is dedicated to my grandmother Mz Virginia. It's such a treat to read her comments and know that she is enjoying snippets of my crazy life with all these critters.

I've always felt that my intense love and connection with my animals comes from her. She told a story not long ago about some surgery she'd had and how her dogs Lady and Shadow gently crawled up onto the bed with her and laid, one on each side, one sweet doggie head on each of her shoulders. My grandfather came in and started to shoo them off. "Let them alone," she said. "They know what's going on."

I sleep most nights with one dog plastered up to one side of me, cats on either side and more recently the new dog on the other side. Like I'm a doggly mama sandwich. I sleep like a log. Comforted and secure with my buddies.

Okay...so, the rest of the story.

I've been working hard to get this crazy, wild, energetic dog walked every day.

This morning it was cold, gray and windy. But I knew that my planned day of relaxing at home would be more enjoyable if this sweet, furry, bouncing bundle of energy was tired.

So off to the lake we go. I thought about taking my camera but it didn't seem like a day that would lend itself to great photographs. I was wrong.

It was Rescue's turn to come along. Rescue and Maggie are taking turns...well, actually Rescue goes twice to Maggie's once...You know, "I'm old and my legs are short" and all. So Mags happily curled up on her pillow in the garage and the other two loaded up.

Rescue has lost most of her sight in the last few years and has also lost much of her hearing. She's the Helen Keller of dogs. She has been sticking pretty close as we walk the trail through the woods at the lake. It's such a nice place to walk. I can see the whole trail before we start as it wraps around our cove at the lake. This allows me to scout for bank fishermen that River might try to eat. If the coast is clear I take her off lead and let her run. She's wearing her muzzle now and I'm pretty comfortable with her recall.

Today Rescue was much bolder in her activity. Following River into the woods, down to the bank, up the hill, back to the trail, into the woods, down to the bank, back to the trail...got the pattern?

River, of course, does it all at a dead run. Rescue, more deliberately...trying not to run into trees, fall of the bank, lose me on the trail. It makes me nervous but she loves it so much. I just watch her close and yell REAL loud if she looks lost.

It was so fun today...except for the freezing my butt off part...watching them side by side through the trees. Exploring...burning off energy...being dogs...knowing that someday River and I will come to walk in the woods with out our goofy 'Scue. I will always, always take my camera from now on. Some pictures are too precious to miss.

And the best part...everyone is sound asleep!