dawn at Lake Ella

2/20/2021 – Saturday

Last night I very nicely asked Keely to let me sleep in until 7 am so we would not be walking in the cold AND the dark, and since she’s a dog she did not understand a word I said. However, at 5 am I convinced her to cuddle up with me and go back to sleep, so in the end, I won! We went for our walk at 7:30 am, a real personal triumph.

Which is why you get a full color photo of Keely posing near the corner of 8th and Monroe, across from Sonic:

By that point it was going on 8:30 am and the sun was bright and glorious, which you can see in the background. Truly a lovely morning for a walk, despite the chill.

Keely is back to herself, these days — finished her antibiotics and pain meds earlier in the week, and you’d never know she was the pitiful bundle of betrayed puppy she was after the surgery.

I do think a lot about her mortality, though. She’s probably about 12 years old now, and living for another 2-5 years is the most I can hope for her. My main regret is not having a car so I can take her on adventures, but it’s not like she knows the difference. Mainly I want her to feel safe and loved for however long I can do that for her.

Isn’t that what we all really want, anyway?