Look closely and you’ll observe Achilles’ white whiskers. Not a hallmark of age for this elder statesman, he’s always had white whiskers.
Tag: ACDx
Gratitude
I made my fund-raising goal for the OSPCA Friends for Life! Walk in just over a week, six days before the walk. It was an ambitious goal and I was a little skeptical, expecting to achieve my objective in the last day or so.
Events like this reinforce my belief that (most) people are essentially good, and reinforce my gratitude for people, their generosity, for being alive and blessed.
Achilles, do you want to go on a walk?
Pay it back, and forward
I adopted Achilles from a Central Texas animal shelter in May of 2006. He was picked up as a stray and his people, for whatever reason, had not come for him.
He was an adult dog and adults often are overlooked by potential adopters. Chilidog had been looked at but not adopted. The shelter workers held on to him, believed in him, kept him well past the time they probably should have ‘made a decision.’ And then I came along. He had been there two days short of a year on the day I brought him home.
Here we are, eight years later. Achilles has been such a treasure. He’s a great ambassador for his species. He’s a good ladies’ man I’m told.
A small way to return the favour those shelter workers did him, me, us, is to fund-raise for the OSPCA. So we’re walking in the OSPCA Friends for Life! Walk.
Pay it back, pay it forward.
Beloved Achilles. Friends for life indeed.
A different perspective
I usually photograph the dogs from an angle, sometimes at their level. This time I captured Achilles from almost directly above as he watched people walk past.
Doughnut dog
Curled into a round little O. Bentley glowing brightly for all dogs.
sweet Stella
It’s sometimes hard to believe she’s eleven years old. Recently someone saw her and was quite surprised to learn her age. Stella’s been a challenging dog at times – very quick to learn; quickly bored; on walks paying less attention to me than I was accustomed to in my dogs; wary of unfamiliar people; still occasionally letting loose that cattle dog shriek. I had to learn new ways of in-seeing, both into her specifically, dogs in general, and myself. She’s not a perfect dog but no dog is. She’s more than good enough.
My life, my self, is much richer for owning her.
Sphinx
Achilles can pose as well as the original..
In motion
I was initially disgruntled when Stella moved as I snapped the shutter. After viewing this photo I came to like it, capturing her kineticism.
Achilles
taken and posted with the PlayBook
He is, always has been, easy to have, easy to be around, easy on the eyes and spirit. How blessed we are to have such a treasure in our lives.
Vigilance
taken and posted with the PlayBook
Stella ensures that the White-tailed Rabbit stays away from the vegetable garden. Fifteen minutes after first sighting Roger (or Rosie as the case may be) she is still on watch. Very little slips by Stella unobserved.
previouslytexan 