My Pink Ball

I haven't posted for nearly a week, a record long time. This is because I have been very busy. One activity that has kept me occupied is staring into the middle distance, otherwise known as daydreaming. I have seen humans do this a bit; Tim is fairly good at it. However, most humans are not good at it. I have heard it is because older humans strongly discourage younger humans from doing it. They go to a special place specifically designed to stop them from this very worthwhile pursuit. That place they call "school." The benefits of daydreaming are too many to list here but to get you started; creativity, entertainment, relaxation, improved intelligence and a greater sense of Dog. 

Something else that gets my attention is my pink ball. I love tearing after it and catching it on the bounce. It is great to chase it on my own but much more fun with other dogs. My pink ball is the pride of the dog park. This is the ball that all the dogs want above any other. I love the competition of trying to get it before the other dogs. I am faster than all the other dogs in the park (just stating the facts) so I often do. However, the person throwing it usually throws it to the advantage of other dogs to keep it even and interesting. I don't mind if I get the ball or not, I just love running fast and going after the ball. I think competition is about putting in your best effort. This makes competition rewarding. It is when dogs or people put the importance on winning that competition becomes a negative influence. In summary, competition is good; attaching significance on winning is bad. Little humans intuitively know this but once again big humans sometimes come in and mess things up. 

Life is great when you have other dogs to chase a ball with.

Movement

We had a bit of everything on our walk this morning. We started in cloud, then rain, followed by sunshine. We walked and we jogged/trotted. We chased the ball on the rugby field. It is such a great feeling to be moving. Moving slowly and steadily, I can get a nice rhythm going. I can feel the blood pumping around my body, the ground underpaw, my muscles extend and contract. It feels that there is no end and no beginning once I am in my pace. Chasing the ball, I can feel the wind in my fur, the scenery blurred, the adrenaline flowing, my muscles at full stretch and exertion, the air flowing in and out. I speed up and the world slows down. My eyes are on the ball alone. My stride and movements get in time with the ball. I time it perfectly so I grab it on the bounce. I feel exhilaration as I slow down naturally and gradually, instead of putting on the brakes as I do when I miss the ball. I hear Tim in the distance yell, "Rrrrrrruuubyyyy."

Life is great when you are in full stride.

All Action

There are a lot of photos of me lying around on this blog. It is a past time I do often and I am good at it. However, I really enjoy being active as well. I subscribe to the Buddhist philosophy; when lying, just lie. When sitting, just sit. When waiting eagerly for the ball to be thrown, just wait eagerly for the ball to be thrown. When chasing the ball, just chase the ball. You can see my whole dogness is one hundred per cent aimed at getting the ball. My tail is streamlined and my ears are positioned for maximum lift. One day I might just fly. It is important to be one with the ball. There is no dog, no ball, no person throwing, no field. Everything is one. 

Of course it is much easier for Tim and Mandy to take photos of me at zero kilometres per hour but I will try and encourage them to take more action shots. 

Happy Day

Happy is the day I go for a walk.

Happy is the day I chase a ball.

Happy is the day I spend with my pack.

Happy is the day I get well-fed.

Happy is today.

Human and dogs, what is happy in your today?