Life Slows Down

My time of convalescence is nearing its end and that makes me very sad. I need to get back to work but my period of physical healing has allowed me to slow life down. It has allowed me to spend much more time with Molly in the twilight of her life than I ordinarily would have been able to spend. It has allowed me to absorb our walks rather than just take them and it has allowed me to stop and smell the roses with Molly rather than just sprint by them because I have somewhere else I have to be. Molly has taught me how to slow down and appreciate the small things going on around me. I am hoping the lessons were not lost on me and I can carry these teachings back to work with me.

The Chicken Wing

I woke up late this morning (and yes, 7 AM is late for me) and Molly was crashed at the end of the bed. I started rubbing her belly and her right hind leg started flapping like a chicken wing. Usually when I think of chicken wings I think of Hooter's but I have been reading a lot of baseball history here lately (in particular Dan Epstein's two books Big Hair and Plastic Grass and Stars and Strikes) and I thought of dimunitive Joe Morgan, the second baseman for the Cincinnati Reds and the Big Red Machine in the 1970's. He was a left handed hitter and whenever the pitcher would throw the ball towards home plate his left arm would start flapping like a chicken wing. I believe some would call that a Segui analogy but as long as I can make the connection, it is all good.

The Working Dog

One of my Twitter followers is always showing pictures of his hunting dogs and those pictures remind me of my father and his hunting dogs but in my house, they were called "bird dogs." My father only hunted the elusive grouse and quail. Pops started training his dogs when they were about eight to ten weeks old and he finally settled on Brittany Spaniels as his dogs of choice. He would not turn down any good dog but he said that the Brittany Spaniels were easier to train and not as "hard headed." I was not a hunter and I never carried a gun but I liked going out into the fields and the woods just to watch my father work with his dogs. Watching my fathers and his dog hunt a covey of grouse was a well choreographed thing of beauty. His dog Lady probably would have moon walked to where the birds were if he wanted her to.

The Visitor

I had a visit from the neighbor's dog Amber just a few minutes ago and I cannot resist sneaking outside to pet her. Most everyone else ignores her and her eyes light up when she sees me coming. Amber is a beautiful Golden Retriever and a very sweet and gentle dog. She comes down here quite often and makes her rounds of the property. Molly can't figure out Amber and Molly always takes an aggressive stance towards her but Amber just ignores her and sidles up beside me so she can be petted. I always look forward to her visits and I try to look out for her as much as I can.

The Friendly Neighborhood Falcons

As I have been walking Molly this week, I have noticed the distinctive presence of two peregrine falcons. One afternoon the two falcons were two their best Snoopy and Red Baron routine and it was quite impressive. They were flying overhead, coasting on their spread wings, and they would swoop by each other, and bump into each other against a clear blue sky. According to the website rfalconcam.com, it is an aerobatic courtship ritual and as near as I can tell, they have a nest close to my house. I have seen them a couple of more times, most of the times together.

There are several videos on youtube of falcons attacking people and pets. Molly is a little bit too big for them to carry off but they can still put a hurting on us. We must have got a little too close to their nest one day because listening to their cries, they were not too happy with us. We left the area as quickly as we could because we did not want to ruffle their feathers so to speak, and I will donate that area of the property to Mother Nature.

Mother Nature

It has been a full moon the past couple of nights (The full Moon officially occurred on 23 March at 8:01 a.m.) and I read somewhere that if a full moon occurred in March, it was referred to as a "Worm Moon." According to the website almanac.com, "at the time of this spring Moon the ground begins to soften and earthworm casts reappear, inviting the return of robins." My yard has been full of robins but I have noticed an absence of worms. Now if there was an anteater in the front yard, he would be having the buffet about now.

The early morning colors were especially vibrant this morning with the Worm Moon as a centerpiece. It was a mixture of pinks, blues, and grays with an almost full moon that was shrouded in a heavy mist. It was one of those morning skies that really leaves an impression and something you wish you could capture with your mind's eye.

Reflections

Molly got bent out of shape late this afternoon and as near as I can figure out, she saw her reflection in the glass door that leads to the back balcony. She is either very critical of her appearance or she thought another dog was encroaching on her turf. I had also given her some steak scraps that she was ferociously guarding as well so that may have had something to do with it. There is a video on Youtube of a dog enjoying his treat and his back leg starts sneaking up on him. He is under the impression that is another dog trying to get his treat and he shows his teeth and snaps at his own back leg and goes back to enjoying his treat. Threat averted. Molly was woofing and barking and she was ready to whoop some ass on the other side of that door. She was going to get the prize behind door number one and save her steak scraps come hell or high water.

Gravity

Over the course of the past couple of months Molly and I have gotten a harsh lesson in the scientific law of gravity. It is much easier to go down the hill than it is to come back up. At least once a day, Molly and I get brave and take the short trek down the hill and the woods to the creek. After living here for almost two years, I found out the name of the creek is Laurel Creek. The weather has been getting nicer and Molly and I want to enjoy the outdoors and she makes a beeline to the trails through the woods every time we go outside. Molly and I have to stop about every five feet coming back up the hill for rest breaks. I have to admit that it is mostly me stopping for rest breaks but we finally made it up the hill without passing out.

Is Sammy Back?

Molly and I have noticed a disturbing trend around the house the past several days. Something has been getting into my garbage cans and from the looks of things, Sammy the Bear might be back. I decided to Google surviving a black bear encounter and the artofmanliness.com had the most sound advice. The first thing they suggested was bear pepper spray. If none was available they suggested to make lots of noise. They also advised to not climb a tree that black bears are excellent climbers. Lastly they did advise to fight back.

The big question I have is does any of this come from personal experience or is this all guess work. My strategy of running like a girl, while not exactly or reeking of bravado, is probably not a good idea. Not to mention that the bear could easily chase us down and smack all of the ass off of us. I hope not to put any of the strategies in action as Sammy can have the night and I will take the day and we can both live in peace.

Molly's World

Everyone that calls themselves a friend of mine knows how important Molly is to me. Anytime I talk to any of my friends they always ask me how Molly is doing at some point and time during the conversation. They also realize that they need to pay tribute in the form of dog treats (she also accepts pizza crust) to Molly when they come to visit. They know Molly is getting old and is not in the best of health so they are as concerned about her well being as I am. That is a great bunch of friends.

Zoe

A friend of mine had posted on social media yesterday that she had to put her dog to sleep because it had gotten too sick and her suffering had become too great. She made the very difficult decision but it was the right decision. The dog's name was Zoe and she was a very sweet and beautiful best friend. My friend had posted a picture montage of Zoe and she was always around family. Anytime I would go over there, Zoe would greet me with a deep baritone bark that would almost echo through the house. She would always make herself available for ear scratches and belly rubs and if Zoe didn't like you, then there was something wrong with you.

San Juan Hill

Molly and I have to walk down a path through the woods to get to the creek and that walk, although not long, puts a hurting on me and Molly. She is old and has bad hips and I am older and have a bad foot. Everyday we go out Molly wants to go charging down that hill at some point and time. Going down the hill is harder on me and coming up the hill is harder on her. The biggest problem arises whenever she wants to go off road and I want to stay on the path. That is turning out to be a better workout than Physical Therapy. Molly also likes to drag me through the occasional briar patch and she gets a kick out of watching me navigate through that.

It's Mole Season

I was reminded of the Bugs Bunny/Daffy Duck cartoon this morning where Bugs and Daffy got into a heated debate as to whether it was duck season or rabbit season. When Molly and I went for our lunchtime walk, all sorts of critters, above and below ground, are starting to wake up from a long winter's nap. Molly went digging for a mole and all she got for her efforts was a mouth full of dirt. I am happiest when she does not catch a mole because the last thing I need is for her to have a bad case of mole breath. It is not too pleasant. I let her dig for them anyway because it makes her happy and that is why I am here.

What Molly Thinks I Am

I saw this post on someone else's Twitter page so I can't take credit for it but the post said "I hope to one day be the person my dog thinks I am." That is a very strong and accurate statement when it comes to me and Molly. Even though we are both getting older, I have a lot of room to improve so I can meet the high standard of how Molly sees me. I wish I could treat human beings with the same compassion that I treat animals. Molly only wants my time and my attention and I will always have that for her. Human beings want so much more and most times, I am left physically and emotionally drained. Molly is able to transfer her healing power to me.

Birding

Molly and I have taken up a new hobby. We have taken up "birding" or bird watching as we take our morning and afternoon walks. There are so may beautiful birds that come across the property on a daily basis. We have seen falcons, cardinals, doves, orioles, woodpeckers, and bluebirds just to name a few. They are all beautiful and I try to pick up on their different songs as well. There was one bird the other afternoon whose song had seven different variations to it that I could count and I am sure each one meant something different. My father took up building birdfeeders when he retired and I would love to get ahold of one of those right now.

Let's Take Two

Former Chicago Cubs great and baseball Hall of Famer was often quoted as saying, "It's a great day. Let's play two." Molly was feeling good today so we took several walks all over the property until she was satisfied that she had enough and wanted to retire for the evening. I can always use more exercise and it is not like our walks our strenuous anyway. We took so many laps around the house I thought we were in a NASCAR race. Molly could be sponsored by Canine Carry Outs and I could be sponsored by Hooter's as long as I didn't have to wear those shorts or that little tank top.

A Beautiful Day

Everyday that Molly and I get to spend together is a beautiful day. The coming of spring and us being able to take longer walks and spend more time outside is an added bonus. I had to go to the doctor and I am thinking with a floppy hat and sunglasses, Molly could pass for a tourist and I can do like some people do in Wal-Mart, buy a service dog sweater and put that on her and she can pass for a service dog. I saw some lady do it with a Chihuahua and I do not think I have ever heard of a service dog Chihuahua before. There he was in Wal-Mart licking food off the floor.

Daddy's Home

I borrowed the title for this post from the recent Will Ferrell/Mark Wahlberg movie and I can only hope my post is better than this movie was. I do not think it would take much effort. When I came home tonight, I could not decide who has more separation anxiety, me or Molly. We are both so happy to see each other, it is like we have not seen each other in a week or more. She jumps off the bed and follows me around the house and I give her belly rubs and leg massages. As soon as that initial session is over, I take her on a quick walk to get that out of her system. I do appreciate my dog and all she brings to the table.

A Great Day To Stay Inside

Molly and I woke up to a steady rain this morning and she has never been one for taking long walks in the rain. I took her on her abbreviated morning walk and about halfway through our rounds, she abruptly turned around and headed back for the house. Of course when we got back in, Molly insists that I towel her off and that beats the alternative of her giving a few good shakes and drenching my desk, my papers, and my laptop. I will choose being the towel boy any day. There is nothing I can do about the wet dog smell but I have grown used to it over the years.

Chasing Her Tail

Like most dogs, Molly enjoys a good game of "chase your tail" once in a while, even at her advanced age. She seems to play that game more often when my girlfriend is over here so I don't know if Molly is trying to tell me something or not. She also uses it as a means to scratch her back on the carpet. It is funny no matter what the reason but Molly enjoys being the center of attention and is quite the entertainer. Molly has to take a break in mid-game for a belly rub and some stretching and I have never exactly understood how you keep score in a game of "chase your tail." To put the game in a business context, if you win the game of "chase your tail" at the retail giant I am employed at, they put you in management.

The Falcon Hypothesis

Molly and I saw a Falcon this morning while we were taking our walk. I had heard the Falcon's battle cry the other afternoon while we were taking our walk but I could not put eyes on him. He had made a brief appearance early last summer and even landed on my back balcony to check me out. This morning I finally put eyes on him. He gave his battle cry and flew deeper into the woods. Molly and I must be interfering with his hunting ground. The Falcon is such a beautiful and powerful bird.

There are many that believe that seeing a Falcon is symbolic and that it's meaning is one of a higher vision and it's a solar emblem of success, victory, and rising above a situation. I could use a whole lot of that right about now so me and the Falcon and Molly are going to take it and run with it.

A Beautiful Dog

I sometimes forget what a beautiful dog Molly is. My girlfriend was walking Molly this afternoon (I am still surprised that Molly allows herself to be walked by someone else) and I was taking a few pictures of Molly while she was walking across the yard. It sudden struck me as to how beautiful Molly is. She is mostly white with just a touch of light brown spread on her back, a touch of brown with some circular splotches on her lower front paws, her ears are short and stand straight up, and she has chocolate brown eyes that usually express how she feels. She also has an amazing personality.

Why?

Why even have a dog if you are not going to incorporate your dog into your family and make it a valued member, deserving of a place at the table, so to speak. I do not understand. My neighbors have a dog and they do not deserve a dog. I hope the dog bites them. On a daily basis. One woman I went out with a few years ago was shocked that I even owned a dog. She did not last long. At all. Molly laid some paw to her ass on her way out the door. Molly advised me not to let that happen again. I haven't.

Snakes And Moles

One of the ever present dangers of living in the mountains, especially in the spring and the summer, is the threat of snakes. As long as they stay clear of me, I stay clear of them. The same thing goes for Molly. I have my pistol but I am not exactly a crack shot so I am not even going to try to shoot a moving target like a snake. I am not going to take a chance on shooting Molly. We are on the verge of spring here in the mountains so I have to be more vigilant than normal on keeping an eye out for snakes. We were on our afternoon walk yesterday and I saw something moving underneath the ground and it almost look like a pulse the way the ground was moving. Molly usually has a good sense when it is a mole and she made no move towards it so I was not that excited to find out what was going to pop out of the ground. Sometimes you are better leaving well enough alone.

Go Ahead Cat

I am always making cartoon references on Molly's World and an old Sylvester the Cat cartoon came to mind this morning as Molly and I were making our rounds. We were walking down the driveway and we passed over a drainage pipe that runs under the driveway. Molly caught the scent of something but I couldn't tell what. Molly's nose was to the ground but I still couldn't see anything. There are times we are better off not seeing whatever it is she smells and I thought this may be one of those times. I had to drag Molly away kicking and screaming but Molly and I are a bit too old for the thrill of the chase. On the way back through I happened to look down and there was a charcoal gray cat peering up at me from the edge of the drainage pipe. I am thinking "Go ahead cat. Scratch me...." but after seeing the look in its eyes, I thought better of it. It saw Molly and it had the crazed look of a half feral cat in its eyes and so I just kept on walking. The cat is entitled to his hunting ground as long as its not me or Molly its hunting.

Somewhere More Familiar

Molly's sight and her hearing are going fast and she has separation anxiety like she has never had before. I have pretty much been with her 24/7 since November because of my foot surgery but because I am more mobile now, and with me having to go to physical therapy and other things I have to do, I have been out of the house much more over the past couple of weeks. When I am home, Molly insists on being right beside me and follows me from room to room. When I do leave the house, I always make sure that I leave a sweatshirt or something I have been wearing laying on the bed so Molly can get a sense of my presence. When I get back home, Molly is always curled up on my clothes sound asleep.

The Early Morning Hours

The pre-dawn hour is my favorite time to walk Molly. The stars are still out and slowly fading, some mornings the moon is out, and I get to see the light slowly come across the sky and watching everything come alive. The sky turns such amazing colors. Midnight blue, dark blue, and sometimes even purple and pink. Molly and I have shared this early morning setting many times over the past several months.

Eeyore

I often make references on Molly's World to cartoon or fictional characters and this morning as Molly and I were ambling through the woods, I thought of a reference thought probably fits Molly perfectly right now. I thought of the character Eeyore from the "Winnie the Pooh" series. Molly jut kind of slowly ambles along now (without being manic depressive of course)and I gues I get to play the character of Christopher Robin. Thousand Acre Woods is only about 10 acres but I don't we could handle a thousand acres. There are days we can't even handle ten.