A Shared Sense of Continuity

Today is Fips's fifteenth birthday. Absent minded as I am, I thought it was on Friday.... and so I did not do anything extra special, other than giving him and Rosco some chunk-ohs by way of casual treat.

But toward sundown I did take the pups to the high school and after the usual sniff-for-scraps, we ambled over to the green expanse of empty playing fields which today we had all to ourselves. Artificial though it is, this vast grassy carpet is a thing of beauty to me and a place of tactile pleasure for the dogs, who love to roll their backs on the grass and then scratch and paw the moist sod. I know Fips enjoys the the feel of soft blades under his spongies.

Fips and I sat down in the middle of the field, as Rosco ambled around following a scent but staying within range. The sun was reflecting softly off Fips's golden, chestnut hair as the wind brushed gently over his fuzzy face.

I stared at his beautiful profile, amazed and grateful that he is as healthy as he is and happy for the long haul of all these years. I am not sure dogs have the sense of time we do, but I'm pretty sure Fips has a shared sense of magnitude and continuity.

Fips narrowed his eyes as his nose took in the in rushing scent. He must have been aware of me staring at him, because he turned his face, looked at me with his big brown eyes and gave me a little dog-kiss.

Fipsie's First

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