Walking Along the Rio Grande with Poodles




 

I almost turned down the invitation to walk my dogs with a group of people from the Enchanted Poodle Club that meet most Sundays to walk theirs.  I'm glad I didn't.  Caprice and Canon got to stroll the North Valley with ten other handsome poodles.  Both were extremely excited when we arrived-- Caprice barked crazily, while Canon pulled me for all he was worth.  They did, however calm down enough to stroll amid the rest of the well-behaved dogs.

Being with a pack of poodles is the next best thing to having them as your own.  They're there to admire, pet, and talk to, but you don't have to handle them.  It's nice to be with a group that you have something in common with.  All in all, a wonderful way to start a beautiful, sunny Sunday.






The Pack

  

Little Things that Make Me Happy

• Watching Caprice and Canon sleep next to each other
• Watching the dogs play
• Fresh paper and a clean pencil
• Waking up naturally, instead of by alarm in the morning
• A clean, neat house
• Friends
• Jelly bellies in my favorite flavors
• Trees turning green again in the spring
• Warm days
• Brand new dishes
• A clean desk
• A good workout followed by a high energy day
• A long, hot bath and a good book
• Buying things on Amazon.com
• e-mail that's just to me
• Music from Bride and Prejudice
• Fresh sheets

Full Moon

A full moon always seems to draw my attention.  Perhaps it's like that for many people.  I appreciate its brightness in a dark sky.  Its perfect roundness.  The suggestion of a sphere.  Its contours.  The way it peeps out from behind the clouds.  It's largeness when it is near the horizon.  The idea that this dime-sized object is actually over 2000 miles across.  That it has an effect on our earth (and vice-versa).  That it is actually reflecting the sun's light.

Its effect on people?  Fact or fiction?  Crazy things happen on a full moon.  No wonder there are ancient beliefs of fairies dancing in the full moon, men changing into werewolves at the full moon.  What a wonderful image that is of a witch riding in front of the full moon.

It's magical.  It makes the darkness of night seem less scary.  It makes me wonder about space, life, light, mysteries.  I love the watch the clouds race by a full moon.  It gives me the sense of movement, lightness, time passing by.

Eleventh Hour Rescue Miracles

I've never adopted a rescue dog because I'm so into my poodles, yet this moved me to tears, and perhaps to action.

Why Can't We Speak English?

By law she should be taken out and hung,

For the cold-blooded murder of the English tongue.

One common language I'm afraid we'll never get.

Oh, why can't the English learn to set

A good example to people whose

English is painful to your ears?

There even are places where English completely

disappears. In America, they haven't used it for years!

                           -Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady

I'm afraid I'm as much of a curmudgeon as Henry Higgins, who'd be appalled at the way people speak in this part of the country (and it may well be in other parts, too). 

Vwels disappear or become interchangeable.  Pens become pins and vice versa.

G is perhaps the most left out consonant.  We're goin' and jumpin' and singin', but where is Mr. B?

I'm by no means perfecto, but lazy speech bugs me. 'nuf said.

New

New year. New friends. New experiences.

Isn't that what we expect of a new year? And of course, we want a better year, or at least an as good year.

What's new with us?

Michael, in essence has a new life after a close squeak. It's hard to believe he almost didn't make it when I look at him.

My new "career"--training Canon for agility, obedience, or whatever path we choose.

New friends. The idea of new friends struck me today when we attended a New Year's brunch hosted by two new friends from Canon's agility class. Although we knew no one but the hosts, we had a pleasant time talking to people we wouldn't usually meet--barrel racers and horse competitors. It was as refreshing as the dinner we had earlier in the week at the home of a friend who was a parent of a former students. For over 30 years the majority of my friends were teacher friends. This expanded to bridge friends, and eventually parents of students were friends. When I moved on from teaching, I found there were other places to find friends. Dog friends. Poodle friends.  Dog cancer friends.  Assistance League friends. Friends I can't even label.

New experiences.  After staying home with dogs for over two years, I think I'm ready to get out there again.

New is not always better, but it is....new...