Working Dog on Lunch Break

Posted by Barbara Techel

The Working Dog

As I often do, once or twice a week, I head into town to our popular cafe, Off the Rail, for a little bite to eat. It’s a nice break in my day and I also like that I can be among people for a little while since I often work alone.

Today as I pulled up I saw this adorable dog. He appeared to be waiting for his person.

I chuckled to myself and just had to get a picture, because it looked as if he too was on his lunch break.

I was pretty sure I knew who he belonged to, as I’ve seen him hanging out in the back of a pick up truck now and then when I’ve been at Off the Rail before. Though I’ve always wondered what his name is.

But sure enough, as I was walking through the door of Off the Rail, Joe, a local landscaper was leaving with his brown bag of goodies.

I asked him if that was his dog waiting for him in the truck. He said it was and that his dogs’ name is Nitschke (not sure on the spelling).

As I drove back home I pictured in my mind these two working buddies sharing a bit of lunch together and then heading back to work for the day. It brought a smile to my face and my heart.

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Cottage Sunbeams

Posted by Barbara Techel

sunbeam

I love early morning in my Zen writing cottage. This is where I come to practice my yoga and meditation before I ease into my day.

Just as I moved into a yoga pose this sunbeam caught my eye. I had to stop and take a picture.

There is just something about a sunbeam – like a peek into another realm, I think.

A window to another world where there is mystery we can’t see, but encourages our imagination to run wild and free. Something so ancient and spiritual about it, too.

That sunbeam stayed with me for through most of my yoga practice until I looked again and then it was magically gone. But the smile it brought me stays on my heart as I begin my day.

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Death Magnifies Life

Posted by Barbara Techel

g & j

Price Charming and Miss Gidget

I’ve thought a lot about Skippy’s mom, Angela since learning of her beloved Skippy’s passing this past weekend. I shared a tribute about Skippy as I felt it important and I just can’t seem to stop thinking about him. Skippy was just one of those wheelie dogs that wiggled his little self right into my heart.

It was a tough loss for many as he had quite the following.  Angela posted on her page that so many years ago she was inspired by Frankie (and her train costume) that she began making costumes for Skippy and entering him in contests. I didn’t remember that, so that was touching to hear.  Skippy was also a little speed racer who ran (and won!) many wiener dog races over the years proving that a dog in a wheelchair can live a great life.

But there is just something about loss that magnifies life in these moments. Though I feel sad for the loss of such an incredible dog, I feel happy for having had the pleasure of knowing him through his mom’s very clever and silly, yet sweet posts on Skippy’s page. Though as we all know, it really was Skippy who wrote them – Angela was just able to reach the keyboard more easily than a dachshund with short legs could.

With his death I find myself wanting to love my dogs even more deeply than I already do if that is even possible. Somehow, someway I just want that intense, real, undeniable love to seep deep down into my bones. To be there for me when I have to say goodbye yet again. That maybe somehow the loss will be easier to bear when it comes around again.

The thing is, death really does magnify life. To let grieve swallow us up would mean we would lose out on all the beauty that life is. This is the gift of animals and what they teach us. We have to go on. We have to love again. We have to find the courage to let our hearts expand again knowing that on the other side of that lies a pain that we think will surely break our hearts into a million pieces.

Yet when I think about Skippy and Olive (another wheelie dog I loved so much), and of course my Frankie and Joie, well, I’d do it all over again. I’d let myself fall madly in love even though I knew what was coming.

To have missed out on all the smiles, joy and love they brought into my life and as they did for so many others too, well that would have been an even greater sadness.

Now I can say my life is richer, I love deeper, and I understand even more how fragile and precious this time here on earth is…and I am grateful.

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