I apologize to my canine walking companions for suggesting that they are guard dogs. I was just exercising my literary license and trying to come up with a clever title. Again, my apologizes to Bonnie, Gus, and Stella. None of them are the least bit interested in guarding anything. Well, Bonnie can get a little defensive if another dog approaches the enclosure with Dennis' alpacas and goats, but other than that she's gentle as can be. Oh, she barks if someone comes down her driveway (not mine, of course, but hers), but she's really just letting you know she's there and looking forward to the visit. Gus loves any and all human beings. A thief would be just as welcomed at his house as anyone else as long as he got petted. Stella, who was a little defensive early on, has decided that older little brother has the right approach. Greeting, wagging the tail, and getting petted is a grand idea. So, guard dogs they are not. Anyway, they roam around so much, they probably wouldn't be home to guard anything anyway. Many are the times that I have come home late at night to be greeted by Bonnie and Gus who have been out wandering and thought they would stop by for a second to welcome my return. My house could have been emptied out, but at least they were glad to see me. (Though, I must confess, the first time they came running out of the darkness to say "welcome home," I was not expecting it and may have lost a few years off my life.)
But how has the "guard" changed, you ask? The first year or two that I lived here only Bonnie was around, and I really didn't see her much unless I was talking to Dennis. She rarely walked with me. Once Gus arrived and the two of them decided to form a "pack" of two, they began to accompany me on my walks on Iten's Acres. Usually three or four times a week, they would join me at the mailbox and away we would go. On occasion, they would come to meet me at the mailbox, get their affection, and go their own way, but usually, they would "join" me on my treks. They would stay fairly close to me as a wandered out front, but once I got to the back of the property, they usually left me far behind and wandered at their own speed--much faster than mine--through the meadow, wild area, and beyond. Gus would usually reappear for the walk back once I made it to the end of the property, but Bonnie was most often long gone (though somehow she usually was waiting for us when we got back up to my house. Sneaky little thing.) I would go inside; they would head back to Gus' place where I had picked them up originally. (Or where they had picked me up might be more accurate.)
Stella has changed all that. She and Bonnie just tolerate each other. Though I have seen them together more and more lately and Dennis even says that they've been together at his place, so maybe they are becoming better friends. I hope so! Gus, since he can't keep up with Stella the wonder dog's energy level spends a lot more time at home. He will let me pet him if I'm in the area, but he doesn't do much, if any, walking with me anymore. It's a rare occasion. I miss my two furry walking companions although they were not the least bit interested in my flowers, they were fun to have around.
Fortunately, Stella has taken their place. Whenever I am out, she comes dashing to see me and is excited about walking--well, for her, running--over the acres. She even comes to meet me when she sees my car turning into the driveway from a trip to the grocery store. Long before I get down the driveway and parked, she is sitting there waiting fully assuming that the reason I'm home is to spend time with her. When I'm inside, and she's out, she comes and paces back and forth in front of the double doors or looks longingly inside wondering what's keeping me. And she knows the route. First, we walk out front to the road (mailbox usually), then we head back, and then--joy of all joys--we head through the trees and out to the meadow and wild area. Out front, she does hit the pond once or twice--I guess labs are addicted to water--and out back, she just thrills in the run. Oh, she always stops to make sure I'm coming, but, trust me, it's a brief stop. She lives to run. You can see the joy. And unlike Bonnie and Gus who prefer the paths I've cut, she disdains them. It's the high grass and brambles for her, thank you. She runs and leaps like Tigger through the stuff, head held high or head down searching for something to chase. She always waits at the back and returns with me, but if I stay awhile, she is more than content to spend her time exploring--at breakneck speeds.
So my walking companions have changed--from Bonnie and Gus a few days every week to Stella two or three times a day. I wish I could have them all with me to be perfectly honest. But for now, the guard has changed. Stella and the chubby old bald guy wander the acres as the latest "pack." Of course, only one of us is fascinated by the flowers. But both of us are experiencing the joy.
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