Waking to dog noses

"Ugh....5:30.....why are we so gung-ho about dog agility trials?"
Meanwhile, Honeybun was wagging her tail, "Oh boy! 5:30 and she is getting up! I get breakfast an hour early!!!!"

(by the way, did you know the origin of the phrase "gung ho" is Mandarin and had to do with the Chinese call to rebuild and thrive when the Japanese destroyed their factories? It translates to "work together.")

It didn't help the waking up and acting like there was sunshine in my cup with the fact that the neurotic dog, Lucky, had felt it necessary to tell me repeatedly through the stormy night, "There are thunderstorms lurking everywhere." Then he would stick his cold wet nose in my formerly sleeping face. I think I slept about 5 minutes last night, in between two thunderclaps.

After breakfast, Honeybun crashed back in her bed. Meanwhile, I am trying to rub the bags out from under my eyes with hydrochloric acid.  Fortunately, I will be all weekend in the presence of dog people. Dog people aren't looking at the dog owners anyway. Dark circles the size of Texas under my eyes won't be noticed.

And really, having hit another  birthday milestone yesterday, I think I should be praising God for every day I awaken. I should be doing that no matter how cranky I feel, or how early the morning shows up.

But just for the record, I am hoping that there will be no thunderstorms tonight. Gung ho! Off to the trial!

 1 Samuel 26:12
No one saw or knew about it, nor did anyone wake up. They were all sleeping, because the LORD had put them into a deep sleep.

Smiling Dogs

As the dalmation cleared the last jump, I was the ring crew right in the path of his snarling teeth. But fortunately, my first dog was a dalmation and I knew the classic breed tendency to smile. It brought back a flood of memories of my beloved dog Lady and her constant smile that strangers mistook for a grimace or a snarl. You just gotta love a dog that comes barreling off an agility course with a smile on his face.

Honeybun is happy too and having fun, though no ribbons or qualifying scores thus far. She is running well, despite poor Asherel being sick. Her sore throat won't allow her to call out to Honeybun so her attention is not optimal.

But. I am loving the surroundings. The arena is on a small mountain overlooking Blue Ridge mountains all around us. I climbed to the hilltop in a vast open field, peered furtively around me, and then began belting out: "The hills are alive with the sound of music, with songs they have sung for a thousand years, my heart will be filled with the sound of music...." etc etc .... I thanked God for the ring of glorious mountains, the happy dog and daughter inside, and the fact that my throat was not too sore to burst out in song.

If I were a dalmation, I would've been smiling.

Job 29:24 NIV When I smiled at them, they scarcely believed it; the light of my face was precious to them.

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