2012 04 10 Snoozing Sentry

Do you hear that? Can you hear it?

it's the sound of my dog Coco, snoozing at her usual sentry location, in the entry way to the house. Standing guard, or sleeping guard, she is there, at the ready, to protect to the end. Usually from squirrels jumping down from the roof of the house, onto the feeder I attached to the kitchen window. She knows that those rascally gray rodents are conspiring to have at us. To pillage our storage bins and rid them of the black oil seed.

Thank you my Dear Coco. We will forever be in your debt.

There's a couple other things that absolutely drive her as crazy as the squirrels do. The back up beeper on large commercial vehicles. I don't know what it is about that "Beep, Beep" noise, but it absolutely sends her spinning. That, and UPS and FedEx delivery guys.

I wonder what goes through her mind. I wonder if it is true when they say a dog lives in the moment, and do they really see things in black and white.

I know one thing. She is one of the happiest dogs we have ever had. If she doesn't have her knotted up rope hanging from her mouth to play with, then she is looking at you, waiting for you to tell her to go get her toy.

Ahh, the life.

Do they even know they are dogs? Do they know how much they touch our hearts? Do they even know how much a part of our lives they become? Do they even know?

When I come in the pc room in the morning and sit down to turn my computer on, she comes in and has me pet her butt four times. Every time, every morning, four times. She will not leave the room and resume her sentry position until I pet her butt four times.

I guess we all are creatures of habit. I guess we all have our routines, and traditions, and habits. We all go through certain motions that separate each of us, distinct us from one another. What would the world be like if we all did the same thing? How boring would that be?

I have incorporated Coco into my daily routines, and she has done the same with me. I rely on her, and she, me.

Don't get me started on Deena Marie, the dog, the Magnificent. She is keeping sentry in another sector of the homestead, and yes, she has a certain toy in mind.

Our dogs have gotten so used to certain things, sometimes I don't have to call them, they just know to come. They know when to go through a door way, and when not to. They know when it is time for their walks. They know when something out of the ordinary happens, and our traits and personality characteristics change in the least. They just know.

Without our dogs, there would surely be a big void, a big hole in our lives. They take up just enough of our days to make them seem complete. They are there when we need them, and they are there when we would just rather do without them for a few minutes, but they are always there, no matter what.

they are there when supper is ready. They are there when you feel sad, or happy. They were there when my grandson crawled across our kitchen floor for the first time. They were there when the red Sox won the World Series in 2004, and again in 2007. They were there when the Patriots won the Super Bowl in 2002, 04, and 05. They are there every time a skunk is waddling around the house, and they are there when I am standing out in front of the garage, in my underwear, trying to scrub that wonderfully pungent smell out of them.

Yes, underwear.

Have you formed a clear mental image yet? Good, then I can move on.

Like the ticking of a clock, so goes the panting of a dog. constant and secure.

We have had dogs since a couple years after we bought this house. Since 1988 or so, they have graced our home with unconditional love. They have helped pull us through the rough patches, and helped us celebrate the wonderful moments. They have never asked for much, and they deserve even more.

I tend to write a lot about things that matter the most in my life. First of all is always family, first and foremost. My family means more to me, as I grow shorter, wider  and grayer, than anything I ever thought possible. I will never ever overlook the power that my family has in shaping the chambers of my heart. I will never ever let myself overlook their importance. I can not afford to, and as I have said a thousand and two times, I shudder to think where I would be without them in my life.

My four legged family comes in a tight second. actually tight isn't the word. As I think back through my past, and remember all of the wonderful family moments, I can see a fluffy, furry family member tagging along, making the memory complete.

They helped make all of the moments and memories complete, and they didn't even know it.

Oh No! Here comes another squirrel down off the roof!

Easy girl! I promise, That bad old squirrel isn't gonna hurt me!