Day 15

Today's post is about friendship and joy - from a dog's point of view...

(iPhone image. Copyright Diana Shay Diehl. Mission Creek Preserve Trail)

My favorite hiking pals and I decided to take our dogs for a romp along a creek in the Mission Creek Preserve today. It was a bit blustery but overall perfect for a winter's afternoon hike to the mouth of the lower desert canyon. This preserve allows dogs on leashes until you get past a certain point and then they are allowed off leash. The off leash part, of course to the dogs, was what they couldn't wait for. I tried my best to capture the pure, unadulterated joy on their faces (all I got were blurs...) - especially my Toby as this was his first creek run with new doggie pals. These dogs had never met before yet quickly figured out no one was a threat and that a quick snarl or yip would make clear the boundaries so everyone could get on with the business of investigating and splashing through the creek. There was no such thing as walking from one point to another. They all ran, full speed, just to what - we weren't sure. Because as soon as they arrived, they turned and ran just as fast in the opposite direction - except Norway, the veteran doggie hiker in the group. He knew the trail well. However, he would still get caught up in doggie enthusiasm and romp it up in happy dog style. They didn't even mind waiting patiently in turn for a treat - a little something to reward them for minding their masters while unabashedly wreaking havoc up and down the creek bed. If one ran off to investigate something, they all followed. At one point, Chloe, the yellow lab, appeared to not know how to get off the berm to the other side of the creek. Toby went up to her and "said" something which made her inch down and bound back to our side of the creek. Funny how animals communicate - not a word but they seem to know what actions mean very clearly. A nudge, a sniff, how high the tail is held, the slight tilt of the head, direct eye contact or indirect glances.....it all means something. I often wonder how we humans, with our plethora of words and multiple meanings, can get messages so incredibly screwed up. Maybe that's it - too many meanings and connotations in our language leading to misconstrued messages. Perhaps we'd all get along better with just a yip or a snarl or our tails held just so.... 

Oh, it was fun hanging with the human friends, too.....

 (iPhone image. Copyright Diana Shay Diehl. Three Amigos lead the way.)


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Seeking Shelter (aka Querencia 2)

Image
I am having trouble picking up my camera lately. The spark of creativity is buried underneath a pallor of human unkindnesses. Can't watch the news or read the internet or walk through the staffroom without feeling personally assaulted in some way. The world outside is coming alive with wonderful spring light and peeps of color. The air is warm and alive with happy chirps and the whir of wings as life gets busy making more life. But I stare at it from inside. Unable to move. Tears spill over without warning. There's a sharpness to my speech. Breathing is shallow as it burns in my chest. I feel like a thousand elephants sit on top of me. The only solace is my walking buddy, Toby, who insists on his daily walk - which we do. Most of the time. And I always feel, a little, better. I turn off the tv. I limit the internet to communicating with friends and family on "good things",  researching fun lessons, or playing a mindless game (or 2) of (dare I say it), CandyCrush. Bu
Read more

Promise yourself...

Image
What to you think about as you meander around the great outdoors? Do you meander in the great outdoors? If not, you absolutely should. Dr. Shay's orders. It's good for what ails you and reinforces all that doesn't.  I stumbled upon this poem somewhere on the 'net.  Something to turn over in your mind as you wander instead of the usual things that can strip us of peace and joy..... My favorite light at the end of the day - just before sunset..... 2012 ©Diana Shay Diehl / JTNP Promise Yourself... To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind. To talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person you meet. To make all your friends feel that there is something in them To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true. To think only the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best. To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own. To forget the mistakes of the past and pr
Read more

19 March 2012

Image
Here is another shot from this past weekend in my beloved park....more for the benefit of my distant readers (and maybe those of you close by who haven't taken the opportunity to explore this beautiful area...). Considered the cornerstone of Joshua Tree National Park, this particular photo is of the Oasis of Mara which is a short and pleasant nature walk down a paved path from the national park headquarters / visitor center. When my daughter worked as an interpretative ranger there before sailing off into the Navy, she had the most interesting stories of what was witnessed just outside the large picture windows from inside the visitor center. One story that stuck in my mind, both kind of funny and sort of 'gross' if you aren't used to the ways of nature, centered around some European tourists experiencing desert life in all its glory one hot summer day. Both visitors and rangers were watching in awe and amusement the antics of a roadrunner in the garden area just off
Read more