Picture this... you wake up on a cold fall morning in a spacious canvas platform tent, your face completely inside your sleeping bag. You peek out of the bag just enough to see three noses and some whiskers beckoning you to wake up, cuddle and rub them behind the ears.
Maggie, Stella, and Nibbles greeted me with affectionate nuzzles and a few sloppy kisses (and one or two paws in the eye) to start out each day. Dogs are effective alarm clocks- they come with a built in snooze button feature.
After a great summer of leading wilderness trips for Outward Bound in Oregon, the past few weeks have been a welcome time of refreshment! I worked part-time, climbed a lot, and enjoyed the rare privilege of being in the same place for more than ten days. I spent quality time with family, friends, God, a local church, and three wonderful dogs!
Their demands were simple: "feed me, play/run with me, and love me." I loved watching the three unique personalities come out in all of them. (I nick-named them Classy, Sassy, and Spunk.) I started thinking about which one was the closest to the ideal dog for me someday. And then I realized, each is amazing in their own way... much like we are as humans. We were all created so differently and each have qualities that make us incredible individuals.
God always seems to know exactly what I need. Pooches just have a way of making you feel loved and needed. They listen without giving advice and offer the gift of an innocent and thorough snuggle. They lay a head on your leg or just snuggle up beside you, sharing warmth and a steady, calming heart beat. There must be dogs in Heaven. Now I feel ready to move back into my car and face the next big adventure of my life.
