It is the most perfect of mornings here with the baking Saharan heat finally ebbing away - in the cool dawn air Wilf followed me down to the farm gate,stopping every so often to sniff the scented breeze and check for porcupines, while Digby looked on from the safety of the porch. After their 'exertions' the two of them are now asleep by the breakfast table, Digby resting his head on Wilfs back and each snoring softly. I've noticed in the last three months sleep has become an ever more important and enjoyable part of their schedule. Gone forever are the days of adolesence and early adulthood when everything with the boyz had to be done at double quick time .They have now settled contentedly into advanced middle age - after eight and a half years they know exactly what's expected of them and they know what to expect from me. It's rather a nice age for dogs and owners - they somehow become a natural part of the daily rythmn of the house and family, as real as the bricks and mortar that surround us or the natural routine of meal times. Perhaps most tellingly, their advancing age and acts as the gentlest of reminders that we too are maturing - can it really have been 2001 when I picked them up from the breeder in Derbyshire?
7 comments:
Hey there...and a happy morning to you too!
As you have advancing summer, we can smell the promise of spring here - a heady feeling indeed!
Mom says that she knows the melancholy(sp)of looking at her own 8-12year old pooches (us) and that familiar knot in her throat.(What she means,I can't imagine!) But you are correct - its a great age: the pack is sorted and the commands and loyalty intact! What is she eventually going to do without us....well, enjoy every moment.
Lots of licks
MAXDOG IN SOUTH AFRICA
ps Mom wants to know where that saying involving 'the olive branch' originates? Do you perhaps know?
Max - Goodness you guys are up early. I think the olive branch saying goes back to the book of Genesis where God sends Noah a dove with an olive branch in its beak as a sign of a new world of peace.
What a sweet post - I think middle age is probably good for all creatures - you loose the impulsiveness of youth and are secure in yourself.
Have a wonderful day.
Lynn
I've felt the same way with each of my dogs as they reached the 'middle' of life. A sense that we've reached a synchronicity as friends but also a sense of time slipping away. This time, the feeling extends to me, in my middle age, as much as to my dogs.
Well said.
I hate the way time escapes me, especially as it pertains to our dogs. Very well said.
rcsj - I think you're 100% right - whether 2 or 4 footed.
kb - beautifully put
lwd - I guess dogs teach us to just make the most of each day. Amid the daily rush of inconsequential things around the farm I sometimes have to force myself into stopping what I'm doing and spend 30 minutes of quality time with the boyz. The pleasure it brings them puts human chores and priorities into perspective.
Sharing one's life with two dogs is a most pleasureable thing. I love to watch my two together. Although mine are about half the age of Wilf and Digby, and I do enjoy their romps...I also look forward to those restful years!
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