We blinked and in that fraction of a second, I realized we had our own version of Morse Code.
I will attempt to translate the interaction in the live photo below.
heartwarming short dog story about nonverbal communication
—–
Human: (Blink – Squint – Blink) You are a Goooooood Boy!
Jack: (Left Eye Blink – Right Eye Wink + tail wag) I luv you!
—–
After that, I found myself wondering, as I often do if all dogs and their humans have their own nonverbal conversation.
Stay curious,
Jack
When I was younger, I really wanted to be a firefighter. It was cliche, I know. Most youngsters at some point wanted the action figure life. To be that hero, you know.
And some wanted to be a superhero. Yeah, I was guilty of that fantasy too. But that was a story for another time.
So when I was watching out the window today and a fire truck drove by with its flashing lights, I was once again pulled into my lingering dreams of a younger me.
Oh, how I wanted to drive that shiny red truck, wear the yellow hats, and face down the flames of a roaring fire. I wanted to save the day, every day.
Part of me still did. Didn’t we all cling to at least a bit of the innocent dreams we spun before we understood the realities of those yearnings? The bit of us that hadn’t let go of who we thought we would be? Who we’d dream we would be?
But the other part of me, the more mature part, had come to realize the life of a firefighter was less of a hero and more of a saint. And I didn’t think I was that noble.
Here’s to the heroes and saints in every walks of life; teachers, nurses, writers, and artists.
Really anyone who is kind and courageous in everyday life.
Jack
PS. By the way, did I ever tell you, my buddy and pal, Mercer from The Doggy Den, was a true-life drug dog? And then he trained to be a therapy dog. Now that was a superhero!
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I watched out the door as the snow continued to fall. Each flake kissed the ground softly. My breath frosted the pane, softening the edges of my world.
Everything, as far as I could see, was draped in snow. It was hard to distinguish the ground from the sky; the horizon blurred into a vast white nothingness.
Winter had gone on for months now. The cold was settling into our bones. The excitement we felt at winter’s first snow had log ago evaporated and spring felt far away.
The night was silent, as though waiting for nature to speak; to whisper the joy and beauty of winter, for we had forgotten.
Keep warm,
Jack
I love to go outside and kiss the sun and have the sun kiss me back.
I love to hug the crisp air and wrap it around me like a cool breeze on a winter day.
I love to sing to the trees and hear their naked branches join in the chorus.
Joy,
Jack
All around me leaves fall.
As I watch, I imagine the trees shrugging off the coats they had so diligently grown in the spring and worn all summer.
I knew the woods surrounding my home would soon be filled with the skeletal version of their once bountiful selves. With all the leaves on the ground, the upcoming winter wind would easily sweep through the empty branches. And the snow would fall to the base of the trees. All winter their bare branches would reach up to the grey skies, on outright plea for spring.
The cold winds would come soon enough. And I would deal with winter when winter came.
For now, I allow the swirl of the falling leaves to lull me into a pleasant afternoon fantasy.
Today I will enjoy today.
Tally ho,
Jack
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We ended our walk, as was our habit, at the gazebo. I hopped up on the bench and she sat on the floor near me. Our heads were close.
At first, our gazed traversed the same landscape. When suddenly she looked the other way, her attention focused on something which I found little interest.
That I think is one of the characteristics that make us so unique. That which captures our focus.
And to which we give time.
And emotion.
That which makes us, individually us.
Carpe Diem,
Jack
Have you ever felt the need to run away from the lens of a camera, off the page and into nature? Into a world that is not limited by parameters of human expectation? Where the sway of the grass tickles and the symphony of insects delights?
Until next time,
Jack
Sometimes I wonder if humans wished they had a tail to wag when they are happy.
Just a simple thought really. But I do wonder every time I am exuberant. (Now there is a word that captures the essence of joy and contentment combined in a single moment of gloriousness.)
Do adult humans tamper their excitement, playoff emotional events of significance as of little consequence, for fear of looking foolish?
If only they had a tail.
If only.
Carpe Diem,
Jack
Life has a simple rhythm. If one can find underneath all its emotional complexities.
Because all actions, thoughts, and beliefs are emotional at their core, stripping away complex layers to reveal the driving emotion is the beginning of simplicity.
Me?
A full belly and water bowl, a toy and treat within reach, a nap, and the possibility of a walk at the park; aww, the perfection of my day lies in its absence of complication.
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. ~ Clare Boothe Luce
Peace,
Jack
From Jack’s Quote My Life Series