Everyone Join Paws

The most vexing problem of all with the new foster pup occurred yesterday morning. How would I exercise? I always do a 5 mile run or 50 minutes on the elliptical machine, first thing in the morning. This is how I prepare myself for Mrs. Menopausal America, should I ever be nominated. But how could I put Zach, after a whole night in the crate, back in prison? I certainly couldn't leave him unattended while out of the house and the elliptical looking like a giant moving tug toy would crush him.

So I decided to go do laps around the backyard, closing off the dog door so the dogs were out with me. Each lap took me 50 seconds. That means I would have to do 60 laps to equal my regular work out. I really get into the "zen" of running- so seeing the same trees 60 times is not hard on me. And the whole backyard is shady. Hoping the neighbors weren't watching, I began to jog around the perimeter of the backyard. Immediately, Zach began galloping after me. His short little legs had to work hard to stay up wtith me, his big ears flapping like pancakes. Lucky who suspects he is losing in the cute dog contest then trotted at my heel, and Honeybun figuring there must be food involved took the middle position. The pup and Honeybun quickly tired of the parade, he because of short leg fatigue syndrome, she because of no edible rewards forthcoming. But Lucky, lazy Lucky who whenever I run with him on leash drags behind me grudgingly the whole way, trotted beside me nearly the entire 50 minutes. And every time we passed one of Asherel's agility jumps, which was 60 times, Lucky would hop over it.

At regular intervals, after resting a bit, the other dogs would join the parade, but Lucky stayed with me the whole time except for brief periods to scratch and yawn. He stayed right at my heel, wagging his tail. He didn't care that we were just travelling in tight little circles going nowhere, as long as we were together.

There is nothing new under the sun so whether we ran along the Riviera or along the 1/2 perimeter of my yard, eventually we would see it all. And life is one big circle, dust to dust, at least physically. Even spiritually it is the quest to return to where we started, the Creator's side. Lucky seems to have figured out what made any endeavor worthwhile- not the scenery, not the rewards, not the activity itself.... it is all about who you do it with and who you do it for.

Isaiah 34:15-17 (New International Version)

¹⁵ The owl will nest there and lay eggs,
she will hatch them, and care for her young under the shadow of her wings;
there also the falcons will gather,
each with its mate.

¹⁶ Look in the scroll of the LORD and read:
None of these will be missing,
not one will lack her mate.
For it is his mouth that has given the order,
and his Spirit will gather them together.