Matt and I had a couple of errands to run in town today, so after that was done, we went on to try to get a hike in. First we went to Smith Lake Park, but there are no trails, just an old road to the lake and the wind off the water was brisk, so we headed back toward town when Matt remembered seeing a cache that said something about an overlook, so we went off to find it.
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| There it is! That's hardly hidden, yo. |
The reason we wanted an overlook was to see the sky, there are so many trees around these parts, we can't really SEE the sky very often. I think that's why I liked Arkansas so much-sky was half the view.
While we were in Cullman, we saw a dog adoption set-up and stopped in. Matt immediately saw 4 dogs he would have left with, but my heart still yearns for small black and scruffy.
I had a dog when I was a kid, her name was Klover. I had her for years and then my parents divorced and she was lost in the split, left behind at our old house with my adult-aged brother when my mother hastily remarried. My brother was supposed to be looking out for her, but he didn't, she started chasing cars and was run over on my 15th birthday. I did everything with that dog, I spent more time with her than I did doing anything else and she had this look she'd get when we were about to head off on a long ramble-this was when little girls could go all over the countryside without fear.
After she died, it was as if my childhood was over, I had lost every tether to my previous life, I felt undone and it was many years later-maybe even after I was pregnant with Jake-before I felt like I was actually LIVING my own life again. It's hard to explain. But let's fast forward a few more years to 2006 and a certain dog adoption day where we met Jessie Bear, who at the time was called Cheyenne.
We took every dog there out for a look before finally getting to Jess, I did NOT want her because her feet were HUGE and I knew she was going to be a giant. The kids were 6, 8 and 10 at the time! I did not want more than I could handle, we'd had a bad experience with another lab we adopted and had to rehome because he had decided that Ben should be lower in the pack than he was and did all he could to make that transition. I was not really interested in her, but wanted to take her out anyway to be fair.
We walked down to a little grassy area and sat under a tree to pet her and see how she interacted with the kids and us. She sat down and looked over at me, kind of over her shoulder. And it was Klover's look. I was sold and she has been THE best dog ever. A year later when she picked Kuma for her best friend at the same adoption event, we did not hesitate. And he has been the best dog ever, I love those two so much. I feel safe with them out there.
I have never seen 'the look' again, not in the 6+ years we have had her, she has very much her own personality and quirks, but that one look...I knew she was the right dog, Klove still has never let me down. I need to trust that I will know when the right one comes along again and not fall into thinking I need to 'rescue' a dog, Matt and I both would take in every stray we could coax into our cars, our hearts get in the way of our common sense.
Anyway, I am not actively looking any longer, I honestly can't get past hoping Zep may still be out there somewhere, that I may find her yet.
I had a dog when I was a kid, her name was Klover. I had her for years and then my parents divorced and she was lost in the split, left behind at our old house with my adult-aged brother when my mother hastily remarried. My brother was supposed to be looking out for her, but he didn't, she started chasing cars and was run over on my 15th birthday. I did everything with that dog, I spent more time with her than I did doing anything else and she had this look she'd get when we were about to head off on a long ramble-this was when little girls could go all over the countryside without fear.
After she died, it was as if my childhood was over, I had lost every tether to my previous life, I felt undone and it was many years later-maybe even after I was pregnant with Jake-before I felt like I was actually LIVING my own life again. It's hard to explain. But let's fast forward a few more years to 2006 and a certain dog adoption day where we met Jessie Bear, who at the time was called Cheyenne.
We took every dog there out for a look before finally getting to Jess, I did NOT want her because her feet were HUGE and I knew she was going to be a giant. The kids were 6, 8 and 10 at the time! I did not want more than I could handle, we'd had a bad experience with another lab we adopted and had to rehome because he had decided that Ben should be lower in the pack than he was and did all he could to make that transition. I was not really interested in her, but wanted to take her out anyway to be fair.
We walked down to a little grassy area and sat under a tree to pet her and see how she interacted with the kids and us. She sat down and looked over at me, kind of over her shoulder. And it was Klover's look. I was sold and she has been THE best dog ever. A year later when she picked Kuma for her best friend at the same adoption event, we did not hesitate. And he has been the best dog ever, I love those two so much. I feel safe with them out there.
I have never seen 'the look' again, not in the 6+ years we have had her, she has very much her own personality and quirks, but that one look...I knew she was the right dog, Klove still has never let me down. I need to trust that I will know when the right one comes along again and not fall into thinking I need to 'rescue' a dog, Matt and I both would take in every stray we could coax into our cars, our hearts get in the way of our common sense.
Anyway, I am not actively looking any longer, I honestly can't get past hoping Zep may still be out there somewhere, that I may find her yet.
