(82) Forgiven

I think I'm forgiven. We finally got to go for our walk this morning and now all is as it should be. We got up early, and although it was threatening to rain, Brad got right to work on mowing the lawn. Sometimes it is tricky to get the lawn mowed when it rains every day. Still it gets done and even though our yard is mostly shady and the grass isn't very dense, it does look great after it gets mowed. What I'm trying to say diplomatically is that after Brad gets the lawn mowed the weeds and grass are evenly cut and look great. The plants shine and are the true focus. I just love my yard. While Brad and Maxie went to get lawn mower gas, Beeks and I did our routine walkabout. We went slow today, enjoying the time we had together and savoring the tenously dry weather. The hedge roses have begun to bloom and I needed to tie them up to keep them from hanging on the ground. The peoneys in our yard still haven't bloomed,probably because they have more shade than others we see. Seems like ours will be the last to bloom in all of Central Illinois. Oh well, they are beautiful when ever they bloom.

The Walk
When the last of the grass had been cut,and the impending rains had still not fallen, we took the dogs for their long awaited and promised walk. Somehow everytime we decide to go for a walk with the dogs, start to get ready they know and get excited. Dogs are so sensory that they know we are getting ready by how we act. When I go to get my shoes Beeks starts jumping in the air. When I sit down on the footstool, he starts vocalizing. Max knows when Brad heads to the bowl that keeps his collar. He circles around Brad's legs moving him towards the back door. When we aren't going for a walk, the dogs don't behave like this. They are quick to pick up the slightest movements that they put together in pictures like the old black and white movie pictures, one still picture after another that all add up to "we are taking a walk!". I like to think about what subtle cues I am giving Beeks when ever I am doing something with him and how he knows to anticipate my actions. On one level it would be easy to thing that he is reading my mind. When I think about going for a walk, he reacts to get ready to go. But on another level, he is watching me so closely he knows that if I get up, go to my closet to get my shoes, I am going somewhere, then he watches what I do next to see if I give any cues to show if I am taking him with me. He also knows that if I get up at the same time(or close to the time that Brad does) then I'm probably going somewhere. If I go right to the shower, I am probably going somewhere without him. If I get up and get coffee, then get back to bed to read, I am probably not going somewhere without him. Dogs are such darn good observers of our behavior. They anticipate and refine the knowlege through their observations and modify their responses to those observations. I think that is why they are such good compainions for us. They work very hard at being our best companions. Wehn we returned to the yard, we let them romp off leash for a while to get the last bit of energy out before they were cooped up inside during the next rain. Before too long the rains came and we are again, being lulled by a gentle rain.