Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Life with Copper

(First of all, don't ask me why I've become a blogging machine lately. I'm sure it's a phase which will pass.)

Some of you know that we have a dog. Some of you also know that I am not a 'dog lover', but rather a 'dog accepter'. We've had Copper for almost 9 years, and now that she's a mellow older dog, my blood pressure is usually not affected by her existence anymore. And despite the fact that over the years, other than walking her, I really spend no 'quality time' with her, she loves me and is eager to be around me.

The other night as Keith, Dallin, Copper and I were hiking up the mountain behind our house, Dallin was commenting about how he's had Copper his whole life, how great she is, and how much he loves her. It caused me to think about the vastly different perspectives he and I have about this animal. He literally doesn't remember life B.C.. They have been great friends, and shared lots of fun and mischief together over the years! He looks forward to seeing her after school every day and especially after vacations. She is a big part of his little life! And when I stop to think about that, I guess I would say am glad.



The rest of this you've certainly seen before, but here are some things that Copper has tried to teach us over the years:

"When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy..
Take naps.
Stretch before rising.
Run, romp, and play daily.
Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.
On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
Be loyal.
Never pretend to be something you're not.
If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently."

ENJOY EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY!

4 comments:

Melanie said...

How very insightful, thank you Copper.

I have to say I've always wanted a dog for the exact reasons your glad Dallin has had a dog.

...Le sigh... I just can't seem to pull the trigger on actually getting one though.

Unknown said...

I for one am loving this new blogging kick! Your posts are so much fun to read. Copper sure has lots of good thoughts about life!

Your previous post made me want to have a daughter someday (hopefully like Kristi!) and to be able to do fun things together. You're a wonderful mom! I really admire you.

Mirien said...

Nice post, but I'm not budging. No dogs here. And the kids have stopped asking. Whew. But I love the picture of Dallin and Copper.

Katy said...

this dog...

would you believe he has come up in many-a-convo between ty and I. Seriously. In his attempt to convince me that owning a dog is worth doing... and enjoyable, he never fails to bring up Copper. "HE is just SO nice AND trained, AND clean", and "THE Schaffers had the PERFECT situation". He brings it up because he knows that it is the first really pleasant experience I had with an indoor dog. Whenever I bring up stuff about dogs, I know we will talk about Copper (who I secretly think is the best dog I ever met, but don't tell TY)