This week I’m in Bellingham, house and dog sitting for some friends of my partner, Gregory. It’s turning out to be less than the ideal vacation because Gregory’s brother passed away and he had to rush down to Palm Springs to be with his family. Although I’d like to be with Gregory, we felt it best if I stayed to play camp counselor with the two dogs we are watching, plus the four of our own.
Maggie and Bear are two lovable labs with as much energy as Raleigh, so the chuck-it is in constant use. Today has been one long track meet; once an hour I put away my research and writing to race around the substantial piece of land the house sits upon. We run by Jackson who is usually sleeping on the front patio and occasionally he joins us in a lap around the house. Even grumpy Baxter gets into the act. Then while the dogs nap, I sit down to write or compose the next paragraph while walking around the yard. Raleigh and Maggie, who are becoming fast friends, constantly shadow me.
It’s quite different when you’re not just running with the pack, but your also taking time to relax and enjoy the slower pace of the pack in between runs. This morning after our morning tour of the yard, I sat with a cup of coffee watching Chloe try to pick up a scent in the air. I’m not sure if we clued into the same thing, but the roses sitting just a few feet from me smell fantastic. Baxter’s ever alert ears and subsequent 3 alarm bark drew all of our attention to a determined woodpecker, hidden somewhere in the woods. I definitely would not have heard Woody if I was working inside. Come snack time, I’m bribing the dogs with carrots rather than the milk bones we were left with. Maggie and Bear are slowly coming around to the idea of vegetables as treats, but for now Raleigh and Baxter swoop in to gobble up the discards.
This afternoon, I gathered all the dogs underneath the shade of a tree so they could nap and I could do some reading. The twenty first airborne division of the dragonflies flew over repeatedly in more of a dance than an attack. I put my book aside and let myself watch their recital and promptly fell asleep. Although it’s less than the vacation I had hoped it to be, it’s also pretty relaxing and it feels good to let go of my own expectations now that I’ve assumed the pack mentality.
Summer is running out. If you haven’t already, take a day to vacation with your dog and spend the day living at your dog’s pace instead of your own.
If you have space in your prayers tonight, please remember Gregory, his family and his brother Jeff who passed away this week. Hopefully the dragonflies dance in heaven as well.
EmoticonEmoticon