A dog year

This is the first anniversary of both this blog and my attempt to be more present in the moment. I don't exactly have any great accomplishments to note, so instead I will celebrate by sharing a few photos of my mentor Mr. James in action.

Or inaction, as the case may be. I've never had a dog that actually slept in a dog bed, but Mr. James does. If there's a person in a person-bed to curl up next to, he'll be there instead. Otherwise, the dog bed works. Good morning! First things first -- breakfast. Letting us know it's time for a walk.

First, scoring some breakfast the cat left behind. A moment of victory.

Then off for a tour of the neighborhood, where there's lots of stuff to sniff. I spoil the adventure by not letting him off the leash to chase the rabbits and squirrels. But things get better in August, when there are cicadas to catch and I'm not fast enough to intervene. Sometimes the bugs are still squawking as they go down. That's a happy moment for the dog. Less so for the cicada.

Then, back at home, cooling off. Dogs like this with smushed in snouts don't have much way to cool themselves off, but splaying himself on the floor for a few minutes seems to work.

Mmmmmm. Belly scratches from my Daddy are some of the best moments there are. And then back to sleep. It's been a good day.
Happy birthday, blog. And thanks, Mr. James, for making the concept of dog years a whole lot more fun.