Lambiedog

Lessons of the tree

The tree stands short and proud.  Kind of like me.

Also like me, it has witnessed violence -- in its case, the scurrilous attack by vandals upon the neighboring garbage can.

I decided to sniff around to try to understand how the tree could put up with such violence and still keep serving bravely in its post.  

 

At first I thought that the cigarette butts littered across the grass -- perhaps left by the   perpetrators as they wrapped the garbage can in pink paint that symbolized something or other that mattered at the time -- were the important clues.

But when I stepped back, I saw that in the big picture the cigarette butts were too small to be seen.  And even the graffiti on the garbage can blended into the tranquil overall picture.

 

Everything* --the tree, the bench, the ocean, the garbage can, the sky, the bushes, and even insignificant me -- is all part of the tapestry of the bluff.

*Almost everything, that is:  Rest in peace, my squirrel comrades.  You are not forgotten.

Dangerous consequences of illiteracy

    Out at the bluffs early this morning, I was appalled to notice a situation with the potential for tragedy.  A bunny was hopping around in an area clearly marked "Caution -- High Pressure Gas Pipeline," as if he or she didn't have a care in the world.

    Then things went from bad to worse, as the bunny was joined by an innocent bird.  

    I watched their deadly play for several minutes, my heart in my mouth.

    Finally, they both ran off, luckily unscathed, leaving me to reflect upon the dangers inherent in everyday life.

    Perhaps these animals were deliberate risk takers, or maybe they were just foolhardy.  I fear, however, that the root explanation for their behavior is that they couldn't read the sign.  

    How many promising lives are lost unnecessarily in similar situations?  This is why our nation cannot afford to let up in fighting the scourge of illiteracy.  

    It would also be helpful if pictograms were added to make signs more universally comprehensible.

                  

Unsolved mystery

Pookie came by while I was at the bluffs last week.

We caught up for a while.

.

.

Then we were joined by a large black dog named Lily.

I was intrigued to see that Lily seemed bathed in a ghostly green spotlight.

Then, all of a sudden, she disappeared, although the ghostly green light remained. 

What had happened to Lily?

Pookie and I investigated, but did not turn up any leads.  Lily had simply vanished.  

We are still pondering various hypotheses.  I'm convinced Lily's disappearance had something to do with that green light she was bathed in.

  

Maybe it was supernatural.

Fall evening with a friend

It was a lovely autumn evening at the bluff, with a stunning winter-type sunset.

 

  I was out and about, on the prowl, alert to my surroundings.

When I saw my friend Kim, my step quickened.  

I ran over to see her and catch up.

 

       

     

 

 

 

We enjoyed the sunset together.

Adventure

Sun and wind and beat of sea,

Great lands stretching endlessly...

Where be bonds to bind the free?

All the world was made for me!

    -Adeline Crapsey

R.I.P.

This stone is set into the edge of the bluffs.

 

It's the only one there, so I think maybe it was brought specifically to be a memorial.

 

I wonder who it commemorates, and what's underneath it.

Siblings of the same species

 

    It was a typical bluffs gathering.  Everyone gathered around chewing the fat, so to speak.

    The nuclear family of Winnie, Trudie and Ollie was there with their owners.

   

    I started to think about what it would be like to have dog-siblings.

 

    We could play and wrestle together, and cuddle up and sleep next to one another at night. 

 

    I wouldn't want them horning in on my territory  on my owner's bed, though.  That's my special spot. 

 

    We could share rawhides.  Or possibly compete over rawhides.

    Hmmm.  Clearly, there would be pluses and minuses here.  My human-brothers never try to take my rawhide.

Running wild with Chet

Chet is a guy whose tough background bears similarities to my own.  Before we each made our way here, I was living under a dumpster downtown and he was living behind a Mexican restaurant in East Los Angeles.  

Now we both live nestled in the lap of luxury.  But you can always recognize a brother from the 'hood. 

                                            

Perspective

Sometimes the world can seem so cruel.

When I arrived at the bluffs last night I saw Dolce and Max playing together. Black and white, ebony and ivory, perfect harmony.

 

I looked at their owners.  Dressed in black and white, they matched Max and Dolce, and incidentally coordinated with one another as well.  

 

Then I looked at my owner.  Pink and olive.   A terrible match for my fur.  And obviously not coordinated with the other owners either.

  It's hard enough being a dog who's not great at playing wrestling games or running after balls.  Why do I also have to have the misfit parent?

 

Sure, it's all in my own head.  But it's still hard to be the dog who doesn't fit in.

I turned away and walked over to the edge of the bluffs, away from the pink and olive, black and white.  

 

I drank deeply of the ocean breeze and thought of my dinner waiting for me at home.  

 

I thought of all the dogs who don't have dinner waiting, and of all the dogs whose owners are worse-dressed than mine. 

I thought about how much my owner loves me, and I decided that maybe it was time for us to go home together and investigate the dinner situation.   

New neighbor

 

I have a new next-door neighbor.

 

Her name is Artemis, and she is a puggle, which is a cross between a beagle and a pug.

Artemis took her first trip to the bluff the other day.

She's very young, and a bit timid.  When another dog barked from down at the other end of the bluff, she panicked and ran across the street back towards her home. 

Eventually she bravely came back.  She even let me sniff her.

I am going to try to be very supportive of Artemis.  She'll soon see learn that she's fallen in with a good crowd here.