To start out this blog I think I should share my first chapter of my book to give you alittle info about us.
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| Cheyenne |
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| Odin |
For years now I
have been carrying a notebook around in my purse with the intention of
“someday” writing a book. It took my
sweet dog, Cheyenne, to finally get me take those notes and put them into some form of order.
Cheyenne, who was
14 years old when she passed, had been fishing for about 10 years. To her,
fishing was the best thing in the world. She never caught any; it was
definitely the thrill of the chase. In her younger days she could give a bass a
run for its money until it swam to a point Cheyenne couldn’t touch the bottom. She
would run into the water as fast as lighting to chase after a fish. Once that
fish was in deep water she would just stop and walk back to search for more. Wading
was her thing; swimming was not! If she accidently went too far and had to swim
she resembled a child learning to swim and her front paws would flail in the
air. It looked like she was saying, “Help I’m drowning.
I am drownnnnnnnnnning. Ahhhhhh.” When
she was wading she would stand with her nose just brushing the water
with her tail doing an eternal loop de loop. If she saw even a small shadow she
would take a leap in the air and bang her two front paws down into the water
with all the force she could muster, then she would sniff the water as if
wondering where the fish was. It reminded me of Yukon Cornelius from Rudolph the Red nose
reindeer when he was looking for silver
and gold and he would throw his pick ax
up in the air and the ax would land in the snow and he’d pick it up and sniff,
sniff, sniff, and say, “Aw nothing.” Maybe I have watched that show too many times,
but I could almost hear Cheyenne saying that phrase, “Aw nothing” just like
Yukon
Cornelius used to say as
if Cheyenne really had expected to catch a fish by bashing them with her front paws. She would fish in her younger days until the
sun went down. People passing by always stopped to watch her because her
happiness and joy was so contagious.
This past summer my
youngest dog Odin, who was 6 years old at the time, all of a sudden realized
what Cheyenne was doing. Now he is “hooked” fish line and sinker. He has even
given it a new twist by pacing up and down the dock, stalking the fish, until
he sees one. Then he takes a flying leap into the water. Odin definitely
watched Cheyenne to learn this behavior, but does it his way and will even swim
out deep to follow a fish. It is as if Cheyenne passed her legacy down to her
brother. Shortly after this Cheyenne had been diagnosed with kidney failure and
was not doing very well. On her good days she still fished. She was doing what
she loved best and was living life to its fullest. I started to notice when she
was too tired to fish and would rest by the shore; it is as if she was watching
Odin with pride while he fished. I could almost hear her say “Atta boy” as she lay
with her paws crossed, looking regal. Cheyenne fished until two days before she
passed away. She could not see well but
still enjoyed just being in the water, circling and jumping after imaginary
shadows.
If Cheyenne can
pass her legacy down to Odin and leave her mark on the world in that way, and
many more ways than I can count, then maybe she is telling me it is time to
leave my mark on the world.
I believe that our pets come to this earth
to teach us our greatest lessons and help us through the rough spots. Being the
amazing creatures that they are, they ask for nothing but a little love and
food in return, a very small price to pay in my opinion. Animals are so
intuitive. They speak to us and teach us lessons every day. We just have to pay
attention and listen.
It was said best by
a wise ol’ bear named Winnie the Pooh when he said “Some people talk to
animals. Not many listen though. That's the problem.”
I would like to share some of the wisdom
passed on to me by the amazing animals I have encountered in my life.
The wisdom they
have given me is truly a gift and I think it is time I share it.
Until the next time we share some of our Furry Philosophy
xoxo Jodi , Odin and Raven
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| Odin and Raven on Snuggle Sunday |
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