Dogs love to do their share. Recent heavy snows have baptized the mountains with an abundance of pleasure. Some find God to be living among these trees and in all things powder, so therefore the word baptism seems justified in describing snow musing.
This yellow dog is loving his journey of joy; breaking trail for his companion, who follows closely behind. And what a great sense of pride this dog exudes - carrying his own water, food and undoubtedly a few healthy granola bars, fruit, etc for his 2 legged companion. What a perplexing scene - just who is the smarter in this picture? Personally, I am more apt to see most of our animals friends on an even playing field, even more superior from time to time.
Loop C atop the west summit of Rabbit Ears Pass offers the skiers, snowshoers, and adventurous dogs a fine immersion of ample, heart warming sun. While ambient air hovers just around a chilly 20degrees, a few moments in the high altitude sun allow the sports enthusiast to work up a sweat.
Dogs know their roles well. Just be a dog - all else is fine. It is man who struggles with the roles he must act upon in daily life. Me thinks lessons from our 4 legged companions are the guiding lights to a happy and well contented life.
"All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts, ..." William Shakespeare
Dogs are great companions, although often times they need a few moments to "adjust" their personalities to "who is that dog in my yard" ! A few weeks ago, I took our dog Casey, on the right and our dog-friend companion Bodhi, the black lab for a run in the freshly fallen snow. As you can seen in the picture, there is a yellow dog in the left of the picture who had wandered into Casey and Bodhi's territory. After a few thunderous gallops, and some back hair rising (to make one look BIG), the yellow dog got the picture that he had wandered in to already pee'd upon land. Some sniffs, and a stand off ensued; eventually all creatures decided to a United Nation treatise and discovered there was enough room for everyone to play.
Bodhi. We have written about this old fella before. While not our canine, we spend a fair amount of time with Bodhi, babysitting while his owner's are out of town.
This blog is dedicated to a friend, Mike, who recently lost his own yellow lab, Magnum. Labrador lovers know the magic of these mighty dogs. The love of these dogs draws the best out of the human companions.
Such is the way of Bodhi, the mighty viking as I refer to him. He has an enormous amount of love which he slathers and slobbers upon every person he meets.
If only every person in the world could spend 10 minutes with a Labrador, just think what could be accomplished.
Just this side of heaven is
a place called Rainbow Bridge.
When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that
pet goes to Rainbow Bridge.
There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can
run and play together.
There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and
comfortable.
All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor;
those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as
we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.
The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each
miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.
They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops
and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body
quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green
grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.
You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet,
you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy
kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and
you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from
your life but never absent from your heart.
Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together...
One of the most fascinating creatures we can capture on film is our pet. Aloof or cooperative-they can be either. On this particular sunshine day, Casey obliged me with a few quick shots. We took this shot on Rabbit Ears Pass, on Hwy 40, which runs west/east through the state of Colorado. A mecca for hikers, adventurer seekers, campers and in the winter, a snowmobilers' paradise. I was pleased for the momentary shot given me by my dog, and enjoyed the rest of my Rocky Mtn. Day.
Big, doe eyed, brown eyes that can see the intentions of your heart. Meet Monkey. A youngster from the Colorado Greyhound Adoption group, Monkey was saved by a friend of ours, Peter. A maze of brindled fur, this handsome dog has the demeanor of a saint, the soul of an angel, and enough body mass that when he leans into a human friend (a greyhound habit = "leaning"), you might just find yourself looking for something to hold on to. While this photograph may not be one of my "professionals", it is one of my favorites.
Dog. Spelled backwards - GOD. Coincidence? Almost completely blind due to glaucoma and cataracts, Lady Byrd, our red Mini-Pin, knows her name. She makes for an excellent model for me when I am working on black and white, shades, hues and light. It's as though she realizes that for a moment of her busy day, a treat is sure to follow.
