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.)


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