Look of love - #48

Unconditional love is something we all need and desire.  What is something many don't realize is that this can come from non-humans as well.  Animals know who treat them well, who they feel are part of their pack, who are part of their family, or someone who they love.  They are such good judges of character, it's no wonder many of us trust their judgement more than our own.

There is something so warming in looking deep into the eyes of an animal that feels like this for you, whether it be your own dog or cat or another animal that you have connected with, seeing how they react to you can be heart warming.  This happens to me every day when I wake in the morning or leave and come back home with my dogs and cats.  It also happened yesterday when visiting a friend's home where his dogs and even one of his horses ran across the pasture when I called his name.  Such a feeling, like getting a heart hug.

Animals also seem to know when someone is not good, not trustworthy, a bad soul.  Maybe it is because they only trust what they see and hear and feel, or maybe even the smell of humans.  I don't know what it is but I have seen it many times when people have reached for a dog or cat and they shy away or run or even lash out.  It is not the animal's fault for this, it is their instinct to protect themselves.  They will also protect those they love.  This is another way they show love and acceptance.  Animals are just amazing.

So I must ask.  How can some people treat the animals they are supposed to love so horribly.  Those animals that they brought into their homes as puppies they end up tying to a tree in their back yard an just throwing food and water at with very little to no attention.  Those kittens they loved until they grew up and now are let outside to fend for themselves.  How about those people who left their pets when the latest hurricane came through, leaving them in flooded areas and without any support.  How can someone do this? I do not understand.

I am proud to say that my animals are part of my pack, my family, and will continue to be treated as my children until they take their last breath.  To those animals who are ignored and mistreated all I can hope is that some day you feel the love and affection from a family who will love and cherish you. And to all those who treat your pets like crap, I hope that karma catches you and makes you feel 100% what you have done to them.    

Waggles - Day 24

Greeting me at the door as I arrived late last night was at first, barks of protection, followed quickly by excited recognition as my key entered the lock.  Once that door was opened, getting in was almost impossible due to the exaggerated wagging butts and excitement coming from my 4-legged babies. You would think that I had been gone 4 years, not 4 days, but I guess in my dogs' minds, that was long enough.

After finally getting all my gear into the house, having my face sufficiently smothered in puppy kisses and having enough Bear hugs to cover my absence (for those of you who don't know Bear, he really does give hugs), I made my way in to relax.  What a very, VERY long day.  Nothing like riding/driving almost the entire day.  It was exhausting yet necessary to get back home.

A good night sleep later and I am here, writing again after reviewing my photos from the trip.  Sad to say many of my photos were disappointing.  Seems the lighting on cloudy days it harsh on photos but I did get a couple that were worthy of keeping.  The ones I like best, dare I say, seemed to come from my phone, but a lot of the reason there is that I was able to capture happy moments with my sweetie in them.

It does feel good to be back home again, although I would not mind stilling being on vacation.  Oh well, time to plan another one.  We did get to meet some very nice people along the way, see that drivers in many different states are not so pleasant, experience torrential downpours that stopped us in our tracks, see some beautiful sights, and have a whole lot of fun along the way.  Would not have changed a thing!