Day 1588

If there is the promise of a trip to the backyard, all five Goldens are ready and willing!

If we walk to the back door, they are there. If we put a coat on, they’re are there.

If we even mention “outside”, they race to their position!

We have had to institute an exit routine to encourage one furry body in the doggy doorway at a time. Without this in place, I have seen two of them literally get stuck in that opening ! Their excitement to experience the backyard (or as we call it the “Pooping Grounds”) knows no bounds.

Even though the yard is always the same, there have been a few times when they have hit pay dirt! Rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks beware!

Feeling a bit jaded, I have been trying to replicate that excitement in my own life. After looking for “the extraordinary” each time I walk through my back door it seemed the quest for excitement eluded me. What I did discover was something even more meaningful.

On my first walk of the day, I emerged and looked all around. Nothing seemed noteworthy. Then I noticed a tiny red cardinal feather. Picking it up, I realized what a treasure it was. I had never, personally discovered a cardinal feather and it was beautiful! Suddenly understanding that perhaps the real beauty might just be found in closer observation.

After my change of focus, I was delighted to see robins migrating, one last monarch heading south and leaves starting their metamorphosis into brilliant color. I noticed the squirrels taking on a more serious nature as they carried acorns to their secret cache. There was even a hint of fall in the very air I take for granted with each breath.

Perhaps it is the small miracles we might miss that make us catch our breath as we look closer and acknowledge their priceless impact when we take the time to really look. The Goldens know this and delight in the new smells, sights and sounds that await them every time they go through that doggy door!