Rainy Days

Yesterday, it rained all morning so we just lay around. Waiting. Waiting. We decided to visit a neighbour but Tim had left his keys in Mandy's car so we lay around some more. There is a definite art to laying around. Zen Buddhists have the right idea. When standing just stand, when sitting just sit and when lying just lie. I know a wise dog Chloe who says, "Why stand when you can sit? Why sit when you can lie?" That's how the morning went.

Then in the afternoon, we walked on the football fields by the creek. I immediately picked up a small bit of wood and ran around with glee. Some old man, possibly Italian, said, "beautiful" about me. I think it says somewhere in the bible something like, "there is a time for lying and there is a time for running around with glee with a small bit of wood in your mouth."

Please comment, people and dogs, on the art of lying around and running.

Special Gift

"Everyone has a special gift to give others. If you listen to the wisdom of your heart, you will know what it is. The secret of happiness is to use your special gift. The secret of wealth is to give your gift to others." Child of the Dawn Gautama Chopra (son of Deepak Chopra)

I think my special gift is to lighten the hearts of others with my  joy, exuberance and playfulness. When I am waiting outside the supermarket, many people see me and smile. When I meet another dog, I often go into the play bow and then have a lot of fun playing with the other dog. When I chase a ball at full pace, people sometimes feel exhilirated. I love to go up to meet people and give them kisses. Barry always brings an apple because he is generous and he loves watching me eat an apple. I give Mandy and Tim countless hours of joy. 

I can't say I'm perfect and exhibit these qualities 100 per cent of the time. I can have my moments but not many. 

I also get many gifts from others. People often give me affection. Dogs give me fun and the chance to show my dogginess. Mandy and Tim give me a huge amount. They are my pack. 

We all, people and dogs, have a special gift. It is so important to recognise them in ourselves and others. The most grumpy and aggressive dog in the park has a special gift. So do you.

A Sheep!

I am a sheep-dog and yesterday I found my first sheep. Tim took me to a vacant block next to a primary school. I sensed something exciting in the school and I just couldn't resist. I ran up and there she was. I rounded her up. Well... she was just one sheep and she was tied up so afterward I felt a bit sheepish myself. (Of course, I didn't harm the sheep.) Tim thought it was exciting too, he came running after me yelling. 

Speaking of rounding up sheep, there was a story on the radio, Radio National, about a three-legged sheep dog called Casper who competes in sheep-dog trials and does well for himself. He only has one more leg than humans! He and his person don't use the missing leg as an excuse. Just think of Casper next time you think you can't do something. 

P.S. It was great to meet you yesterday Harley.

Storms

You may have heard that we have had big storms in Brisbane. Our part of Brisbane has not received damage. Tim and I went for a walk by the creek yesterday and we could see the effects. A railing had been knocked over due to plants and reeds getting caught on it and the sheer force of the water. On the football fields next to the creek, I found a few dead fish. I had never seen fish before so I went up and respectfully smelt these poor, strange beings. A field is not the place for these creatures of the water. When I come across a newly dead animal, I can sense the life that was there and now has gone. It is the natural way of things. (However, when the animal has decomposed I pick up the remants of the corpse and run around like a kid at Christmas. Tim doesn't like this very much.)

I welcome comments from dogs and people on any topic.

My Birthday

Yesterday was my birthday. I'm one year old. I have now done one complete lap of the seasons. I started in late spring and now here we are again in late spring. Life goes round and round in cycles. As Ecclesiastes said, "The sun still rises, and it goes wearily back to where it must start all over again.....What has happened before will happen again....There is nothing new in the whole world." Some people seem to have trouble with this but us dogs are very comfortable with it. In one sense we are all going around and around chasing our tails and in another life is an eternal present that is to be enjoyed. 

 

I really enjoyed my last day in Sydney, (we are now back in Brisbane). Tim and I went on a walk for about two and a half hours. Here are the photos. Look at all that green space! I met some nice puppies. The joy of being a dog in the park! There is nothing like it. What are your joys? Humans and canines let me know. 

Feeling Great!

I'm feeling better!! Yay!! Tim and I went on a big walk to Queen's Park and Centenial Park. I had all my energy and there were a lot of dogs to play with. Life is great when you are young, a dog and in the park. There is nothing like a big walk and run for feeling great. Tim agrees. He missed having a big walk these last few days. I met Phoebe, who is a kelpie cross border collie. She was nearly all black and nearly as fast as I am.  

Being a bit poorly has really made me appreciate my health and how fantastic life is. Whether you are a dog or a person, just get out there and do what you love.

By the way, what do think is better; chasing or being chased? I love both but probably prefer being chased. I like to get something which looks like fun, e.g. a stick, a bit of rubbish, other dogs' balls or toys, and then run around and around until somebody chases me. Let me know what your answer is. (This question can apply to humans, though the meaning is slightly different.) 

Here is a picture of me chewing the cardboard part from the toilet paper surrounded by Jacaranda flowers.

A Great, Big Palm Frond

I am still feeling lousy, as you can see. I have a fifth of my usual energy. I was still able to go to the park though and it is a beautiful day. I ran around a bit with a Scottish Terrier. He had little legs so it was not too strenuous. I also perked up this morning when I saw a great big palm frond had fallen in the back yard. I love chewing them to bits. As Tim says, "Everyone needs a frond." As Mandy says, "He thinks he's funny." I did not have my usual energy to get really stuck into it but I gave it a good go. 

I find it curious how people sometimes do not understand dogs. We are very straightforward. If we are happy, we leap around

with joy. If we are frustrated, we bark. If we do not like someone, we growl. If we think we are boss, we do what we want. If we think you are boss, we do what you want. In short, we express ourselves fully in the present moment and then forget it. 

People, however, tend to complicate things. If they do not like something, they sometimes pretend they do like it and then think and think about it later. Why do you do this? Have you ever seen someone who knows what they doing, human or canine, turn around an unruly dog in a matter of moments? That is because we do not hold on to issues, we are open to change. 

I welcome comments from dogs and people on any topic.

Taking it Easy

I am sorry to say I am feeling not too well. I have taken some intestinal worming medication and it has left me feeling a bit lethargic so I am only able to take Tim on shorter walks. We had been going on walks for more than two hours. He is OK with it. I rested  in the afternoon while Tim went out. He came back all salty. It smelled like he had a good time at the beach. 

I had a short run in the park this morning. I had fun with a nice, scruffy dog. Then there was a black-and-white barker (Mandy's name for a Border Collie). He was running with a couple of people. So I got low down on the ground to signal to him I wanted to play. Then I ran right up to him and he got snarly so I gave him some space. He obviously did not like me getting too close to his people. The woman said something to Tim, which I could not understand. I could sense that she was embarrassed by his behaviour. There was nothing to it. He was just telling me to keep my distance. It is strange how people often get all embarrassed and flustered by dogs' behaviour. Something happens, you experience and move on. It is simple. I am not saying you do not learn something from it, just that you do not need to carry it with you or worry so much what people think. 

Anyway, I am going to spend the rest of the day lying in the sun or in bed and hopefully I will recover soon.

Sydney Water

I am in Sydney staying with Tim's parents. They are lovely people. For some reason, I am not allowed inside the house. I find this very curious. Something else I found curious was water coming from beneath the grass, they have beautiful green grass. So naturally I started digging to investigate. I discovered a black pipe about half a foot under the ground. I bit into it to better understand the nature of it. Water started spurting out of it with some velocity in a few directions. It was all very exciting so I gave a bark to let the others share the excitement. They came running out of the house and had a look. Shortly after the water stopped and they seemed to be displeased with me. Sometimes I don't understand people. I love people but they do have a lot of quirks. 

Anyway, Tim and I have been going to Cenntenial Park. We go walking for about six kilometres around the park and I can run free of the lead. It is tremendous fun. There are so many dogs and people and they are so friendly and full of joy. 

Hello and welcome.

Hello and welcome. My name is Ruby Isabella Jones and this is my blog. I am taking this opportunity to describe the world as I see it. I am still young, eleven months, and find being alive such a wonderous and exciting thing. Everyday is full of learning and joy. 

I live in Brisbane, Australia with two wonderful humans; Tim Mulligan and Mandy Moore, who are a married couple. We live in an old Queenslander house, which is made of timber. We all enjoy spending time at home and love going for walks. 

My ancestry is part Kelpie, an Australian sheep dog, and I am not sure what else. Labrador, Grey Hound, Whippet and Pointer have been some suggestions.

As this is being read by humans, let me just say that I love people. Interacting with them and getting pats is fantastic. On the whole, people are friendly and warm. Some people seem to be fearful and troubled, a few seem distant and indifferent, very few seem aggressive but the vast majority are really friendly and joyful. 

I encourage you to come back every day or two as I will post new material. Please feel welcome to add your own comment about any topic.