Swarmed!

Bee on flower in Loveland, Colorado. Photo by Darla Sue Dollman. 

It was a warm afternoon in Sandoval County, New Mexico and I was doubling up on my dog walking. Buddy, my 100 pound male chocolate lab likes to walk with Baby, the Australian Shepherd/German Shepherd/Bull Terrier mix that found me in the desert because the two are well-paced, brisk walkers, so I took them around the four-block circle first then returned for Buddy's sister, Holly, and Chewy the Chihuahua, who I tucked inside my jacket.

Chewy the chihuahua. Photo by Darla Sue Dollman.

I checked the mail and stood in front of my neighbor's house looking at my recent issue of Audubon Magazine. Chewy the Chihuahua appeared to be dozing in my jacket, although I did notice his ears twitching, which I thought was odd. Holly sat very still between the toes of my shoes.

Bee on flower in Loveland, Colorado. Photo by Darla Sue Dollman.

Suddenly, I heard the strangest sound, like a dozen chain saws. A few minutes earlier I passed one of our neighbors working with a saw in his garage, so I assumed he changed tools to something larger and returned my attention to the magazine. Then, out of the corner of my eye I saw a black cloud moving over the house across the street. It was one of those odd moments where something is so completely out of place that you actually have to stop and think for a few seconds about what it could possibly be, even though you know what is coming toward you...and within seconds we were engulfed in a thick cloud of bees swirling around my face, head and body. I could barely see Chewy in my arms and could no longer see Holly at all, though she was still sitting very quietly near my feet.

Bee on sunflower in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. Photo by Darla Sue Dollman.

It was such a strange sensation. I wasn't the least bit afraid--perhaps because not one even attempted to land on me--but I was curious. I'd never seen or heard of anything like this, particularly in New Mexico. I sensed that the bees were agitated, but I've been swarmed twice before by red wasps in Texas and they usually start stinging immediately. The red wasps chased me back into my home and slammed their bodies against the glass door. They stung me 15 times when I was first swarmed and 18 the second time. My husband finally found their underground nest and blocked it, hoping they would move on. According to the neighbors, they simply move to the next property, then the next one, and so on.

Bee on flower in Kingsland, Texas. Photo by Darla Sue Dollman.

Having recently moved from Texas my first thought was killer bees and as they swarmed around me I mentally prepared to run into the neighbor's home as I noticed when I checked the mail that his front door was open. One sting, I told myself, just one sting and the dogs and I will be off like a shot.

Chewy the Chihuahua is a very sensitive dog. Photo by Darla Sue Dollman.

I felt Chewy move slightly and realized he was awake, but both Chewy and Holly were holding very still. Perhaps they sensed that movement might anger the bees. Animals certainly know more about other animals than we humans. I really have no explanation for why they held still. I knew I should try not to feel fear. I've heard many times before that bees can sense fear, but that didn't seem to be a problem for any of us. It was curiosity, not fear that held us in place.

Holly is also a sensitive dog, and extremely obedient. 

If I stop, she stops. Photo by Darla Sue Dollman.

So we stood in silence and stillness for at least five minutes, maybe more, maybe less. It was dark and loud and the movement of the bees felt like a slight breeze against my skin. To be honest, I lost all concept of time. I have no idea how long we stood in the middle of the street (there are no sidewalks in my neighborhood so we always walk in the street).

Bee on wildflower in Kingsland, Texas. Photo by Darla Sue Dollman.

As suddenly as they had swarmed around us, swirling past our faces, between our bodies, never landing, they just as suddenly started moving upward, forming what appeared to be a black tornado rising above our heads. We continued to stand in place, but I did look upward and that is precisely how they appeared, like a tornado. They moved sideways like a cloud, then to the side again forming a second cloud. They appeared to be following a leader, their movements synchronized, like a dance, and I began to feel as if I was experiencing something magical. Then the cloud of bees moved to the front of my neighbor's house, hovered near his door, rose up the front of the house, over the roof and back down the other side, and the majority of the bees disappeared.

Bee on daisy in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. Photo by Darla Sue Dollman.

As I watched the last of the bees I raised my camera to take a picture of the tail end of the swarm. There was only about 40 or 50 left at the top of the roof. I knew the majority of the swarm was in my neighbor's yard and I was worried about my neighbor's little dog, then I heard his dog bark from inside the house and realized he had seen the swarm, but was safe.

Bee on flower in Loveland, Colorado. Photo by Darla Sue Dollman.

I ran home, unloaded and unleashed the dogs, downloaded the pictures, made a copy and jumped into my truck. I first drove to the neighbor who was working in his driveway with the saw, but he said he hadn't seen a thing. He needed to know, though, in case the swarm became angry by the noise. Then I drove to the nearby school bus stops and warned the parents who always park on the sides of the road waiting for their children--they recognized me because I generally walk my dogs when their children are coming home from school. I stopped at a group of teenagers walking home and warned them not to scream or panic if they saw the swarm. Then I returned to the neighbor whose house I was standing in front of when the bees arrived.

You can see the dots above and on the roof tiles. These are the last of the bees as they swarmed over my neighbor's roof. I waited to take a picture until I was certain they were all far away from me and the dogs. I lost the opportunity for a great picture, but at least we were not stung. 

My neighbor once worked with bees and has a family member who still works with bees. He said it was a potentially dangerous situation, that the bees were possibly angry and agitated due to the destruction of their habitat or the loss of their queen. He thought they probably entered his backyard then headed north toward the lake at the golf course since they need water. Unfortunately, the golf course is also near the local elementary school, but by that time the children were already on their way home and on the school buses. I showed him the picture and described the swarm, the largest swarm of any kind I have ever seen or imagined. He suggested I call animal control and report the swarm, which I did.

Bee on Russian Sage in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. Photo by Darla Sue Dollman.

When I posted about the swarm on Facebook my friend, Angela England, who writes about homesteading told me that she did not think I was in any real danger, that it sounded as if the bees were simply looking for a new home. Angela recommends raising bees for people who want to farm on an acre of land or less and wrote a chapter about it in her book: Backyard Farming on an Acre (More or Less). The chapter is called "Beekeeping in Your Backyard," and according to Angela beekeeping is "one of the fastest-growing city homesteading trends in the nation." By coincidence, I am also writing a review about one of my favorite shows, Pushing Daisies. The couple in this show bakes pies on the ground floor of a skyscraper and raise bees for the honey on the roof of the building. In the show, they also mention beekeeping as a city trend.

Bee on Russian Sage in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. Photo by Darla Sue Dollman.

To be honest, after the magic of the moment wore off I did begin to feel a bit of fear, but it was not for reasons one might think. I knew that if they began to sting I would run into my neighbors house with my dogs--I always highly recommend getting to know your neighbors for your safety and the safety of your animals. I was also close enough to home to run zig zag down the street and into the house.

Bee on flower in Marble Falls, Texas. Photo by Darla Sue Dollman.

No, my fear was that there was something more serious behind the swarm. First, I want to be clear that I cannot even begin to adequately describe how large this cloud of bees was when they it approached me. My concern is that the environmental factors are affecting the behavior of the insects. My husband and I have noticed on our walks that many of our neighbors spray their entire front rockscaping with an herbicide so powerful it stains the rocks for weeks.

This photo was taken in April of last year. The desert was filled with purple, white and orange wildflowers, waves of color. Right now, there is not a single flower blooming. 

But it is the drought that concerns me most. New Mexico is in a severe drought, more severe than any other state is experiencing right now and I suspect it will set a dramatic weather record as we did not have any snow whatsoever during the winter and still haven't had any rain this spring. My husband and I visited the desert a few days ago, which is only five minutes from our home, and there wasn't a single wildflower blooming. Not one sagebrush was greening up and the branches of the Cholla trees were gray and hanging limply downward. I don't know how the swarm could have been connected to the drought, but I do know that everyone I spoke to that day said they have never heard of or seen as many bees as I described. I hope the swarm was a normal, natural event. I hope that my fears are unfounded.

Right now, the New Mexico desert is like a tinderbox waiting for a spark.

The Lammergeier, my Favorite Scavenger

Just as I do not see color, I see people, I only see beauty when I look at God's creatures. They are all creations of God, and therefore worthy of respect and admiration. 

The Lammergeier, a species of vulture and one of my favorite birds.

Although it is feared by many in different areas of Europe, it is one of the gentlest scavengers. 

Photograph by Richard Bartz. 

When I lived in Texas I spent hours each week photographing vultures. Venues of vultures would circle above our house, playing on the drafts of wind. My neighbors teased me, calling me "vulture bait," because they know I am a vegetarian, and Turkey Vultures will only eat creatures that were vegetarians before they died. Other species, such as Black Vultures, may eat live animals depending on how hungry they are, and sometimes Turkey Vultures and Black Vultures intermingle. 

A venue of vultures feeding in Marble Falls, Texas.

Photo by Darla Sue Dollman.

One of my favorites species of vultures is the Lammergeier, and you will not find this bird in Texas! I think they are magnificent, and their great size can be intimidating, but some day, I would love to be able to see one soaring through the skies, playing on the warm updrafts of wind the way the vultures like to do. 

A Lammergeier at rest. I would love to see 

one of these magnificent birds in flight.

They have huge territories, 

so it is difficult to determine how many exist in the world. 

The Lammergeier, one of the largest of the scavengers, is unique in many ways, including its appearance. It is a powerful creature that soars through the skies on ten feet of wings, though it is an exceptionally gentle creature. The lammergeier, or bearded vulture, has tufts of black feathers beneath its beak give the appearance of a mustache, or beard.

Lammergeier soaring through the skies. 

Photo by David Macaulay.

The Lammergeier, (Gypaetus barbatus), also called the Bearded Vulture, is the only member of the genus Gypaetus in the Falconiformes family of Old World Vultures. The Lammergeier lives in the highest mountains of Europe, India, Africa, Tibet, and was recently re-introduced into the Alps. The Lammergeier's name is from the German word Lämmergeier, meaning lamb-vulture, stemming from a mistaken belief that it attacks lambs, but it is a true scavenger. 

Lammergeiers get along with just about everyone. 

They wait patiently for other scavengers to do their work, then finish cleaning up the mess.

This is the job of vultures--they are God's vacuum cleaners. 

Though one of the largest birds in the sky, the Lammergeier is also known to be one of the least aggressive. Like most vultures, the Lammergeier feeds on the carcasses of dead animals, but instead of eating meat, the Lammergeier survives on the marrow in the shattered bones.

Anatomy of the Lammergeier

Adult Lammergeiers have a black stripe over their eyes and bristles at the base of the beak giving them the appearance of a beard, which is why they are sometimes called Bearded Vultures. 

Lammergeier in Pradesh, India.

Photo by J.M. Garg

The lammergeier generally has red plumage with a yellow tint on its head, though captive Lammergeiers are white on the head and breast. According to the World Wildlife Fund, captive Lammergeiers generally have white necks and under parts, which could not be explained for many years until wild Lammergeiers were observed deliberately putting iron oxide on their plumage, perhaps as a way to blend better with their surroundings. The Lammergeier has a grayish-black tail and wings. It is the largest bird in the Alps at 45 inches from head to tail with a wingspan of 90 inches. It weighs between 11 and 15 pounds.

Lammergeier, or Bearded Vulture. Photo by Richard Bartz.

It is not clear if the photographer took these photos in Switzerland, 

but the quality of photos by Richard Bartz is awe-inspiring! 

Breeding Habits

The Lammergeier's mating dance consists of diving and swooping. Lammergeiers mate for life and mated couples cover large territories that they defend quite fiercely. They build nests in cracks in high cliffs and generally lay only one egg, which they incubate 53 days. Both parents feed the baby Lammergeier. Lammergeiers leave their parents after 110 to 115 days when they learn to fly.

Eating Habits

Lammergeiers do not fight other scavengers for a carcass, they wait patiently until the other creatures have finished their work because they eat the bones. Lammergeiers grasp the bones between their legs, fly high into the air, then drop the bones onto rocks so they shatter into small pieces, earning them the nickname of "bone-breakers.". They often use the same set of rocks, called an ossuary. According to the Discovery Channel series Life, the digestive system of the Lammergeier has evolved over time to allow the birds to swallow the bone shards whole. The Lammergeier also eats turtles in a similar fashion, dropping them from great heights.

Lammergeier in Switzerland. Photo by Noel Reynolds.

Threats to Survival

There are many false rumors circulating about the Lammergeier, claiming that they kill lambs and even small children. These rumors are, quite obviously, untrue as Lammergeiers are scavengers. Nevertheless, Lammergeiers are frequently killed out of fear through the use of poisoned carcasses. They were also hunted for sport and museum displays. 

Lammergeier, the Bearded Vulture. Photo by Richard Bartz in Munich, Switzerland. 

According to the World Wildlife Fund, only 100 breeding pairs of Lammergeiers exist in Europe at this time. However, the Lammergeier is not considered to be a threatened species by the IUCN in spite of its dwindling numbers because its decline is not believed to be rapid enough to approach the threshold criteria for vulnerable status.

Sources:

• "Bearded Vulture." Vulture Territory. Retrieved August 1, 2010.
• "Bearded Vulture." World Wildlife Fund. Retrieved August 1, 2010.
• Chittenden, Robin. "Turkey Vulture." Birds of Prey of the World. St. Martin's Press. New York: 2004.
• "Gypaetus barbatus." The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved August 1, 2010.
• "Birds." Life Series/Special. Discovery Channel. Narrated by Oprah Winfrey. Aired April 4, 2010.
• Silverman, Jacob." Lammergeier: Scavenger of the Skies. Animal Planet. Life: Discovery Channel. Retrieved August 1, 2010.

It's the Rabbit: A Story in Pictures

My husband usually walks the dogs with me, or I walk them one at a time on a four block walk. It's great exercise for all of us. Today, however, my husband worked a double shift and I was tired, so I walked Buddy and Baby, the two males, together, and Holly a bit later with Chewy wrapped up in my jacket.

Chewy trying to climb out of my jacket. 
Look at his eyes--he hears one of those evil cars. 

This is why I keep my jacket zipped. 

Chewy always walks in my jacket. If I put him on a leash he throws himself to the ground and pretends to be choking to death, then instantly recovers when a car drives by and tries to bite its tires. Chewy will never be a "walking" dog. He will spend his 22-year-average-life-span zipped up in my jacket. Sigh.

The following story in pictures explains what happens when I try to walk the two males, Buddy and Baby, together. I suspect it also explains why Baby is a bit on the chubby side. I stop to take a picture every few feet, literally. Their conversation explains why I stop to take a picture every two feet--it's the rabbit.

Baby: "I think I smell something in this shrub. It could be a rabbit."

Buddy: "I smell it too, Dude. Smells like rabbit."

Baby: "The smell moved. I think the rabbit moved."

Buddy: "I think we should move. If the rabbit is here, though, we'll miss it."

Baby: "Mom is tugging on our leashes, but if we move, we might miss the rabbit. Gag. Choke."

Buddy: "I hear you, Dude. Don't move. 

Let's see how long we can make her wait. Cough. Gag."

'

Baby: "I think maybe the rabbit was here."

Buddy: "Okay, Dude, I'll go with you on this one, 

but you do realize we're standing in the street now, right?"

Baby: "Hey, I lived in the desert. I know rabbit when I smell rabbit. I smell rabbit."

Buddy: "I smell sidewalk."

Baby: "Maybe the rabbit ran beneath the landscape log."

Buddy (mumbling, a bit too loud): "Dude, you're embarrassing yourself. There is no rabbit."

Buddy: "Wait! Dude! I think the rabbit ran in front of our house!"

Baby: "I don't smell a thing. We missed the rabbit. It was under the landscaping log. 

Now you're just embarrassing yourself. I refuse to look."

And this is why my dogs are still chubby in spite of the fact that I walk them four blocks, every day, rain, snow, or sunshine--it's the rabbit. It's always the rabbit. 

P.S. The rabbit lives beneath the shrub on the side of the house. After listening to my two "hunting dogs" this afternoon, I think she's safe. 

Dogs

Chewy is a very fine judge of character. 

He knows car tires cannot be trusted and attacks them viciously.  

"If a dog will not come to you after looking you in the face you should go home and examine your conscience." 
--Woodrow Wilson

"I question nothing as long as she keeps the seed dish full."

"Animals are such agreeable friends, 
they ask no questions, 
they pass no criticisms."
--George Eliot

Dog Paws, the Purple Creeper, tree-climbing mice, and a Near Disaster

My life is extremely busy lately. I now have six blogs, two websites, we're selling our house, which means constantly showing the house, and I still have to find time during the day to walk my four dogs. They need the exercise. They eat healthy weight food, but I also give them a little peanut butter in their Kong toys twice a day with a dental biscuit. Twice a week I substitute pumpkin for peanut butter because there's less calories and it's better for them, but they really don't like the pumpkin. The labs will eat anything, of course, but when I give Baby the desert dog pumpkin he takes a lick then stops and stares at me as if to say, "Are you serious?" Baby is the one that concerns me, though. He has a tendency to get chubby, which is why I stopped walking him in the desert--he would run for awhile, then find a stick to chew and spend the rest of his time chomping away. I now walk him four blocks every day on a leash. I also make him dance for his food, as you can see in the picture below.

He is remarkably skilled at dancing on his back legs!

One thing I've noticed about the dogs when they play with their Kongs is they use they paws like hands. It's so cute to watch. Buddy usually just uses his teeth to hold the Kong in place because he has such huge jaws--he's my 95 pound chocolate lab. He's always a gentleman, though, as you can see in the picture below.

Gentleman Bud always crosses his paws when relaxing.

 The other three dogs, though, use their paws to hold their chew toy in place, as you can see in the picture of Chewy below. They love their toys and Chewy the chihuahua's toy is actually a dental chew. Sometimes I take it away from him then give it back to help train him not to be so aggressive.

Chewy holding his favorite toy. 

When I watch him chew I can usually tell when it's time to clip his nails, too, because he uses them to grip his toy. Chewy's toy is also a favorite of the other dogs and they often wait until he falls asleep and try to swipe it. Unfortunately, they have such big jaws that they literally eat Chewy's chew toy, then I have to replace it and they have a belly full of plastic. After losing two chew toys we now wait until Chewy is sleeping and toss his chew toy into the sink for a cleaning. 

Chewy preparing for his morning nap. 

Chewy sleeps in our bed--he literally crawls beneath the covers and sleeps at the bottom of the bed. The big dogs, however, sleep on blankets and I cover them up before bed. Baby's favorite blanket is purple, but he's not always ready for bed when I cover him up. If he hears me in the kitchen fetching water and tea, he will follow me around until I go to bed. His blanket, however, stays on his back and he looks like a purple creeper following me around. It's pretty funny to watch. 

Yes, this is Baby in the purple blanket, 

following me around the house at night as I get ready for bed!

I have mentioned before that I have seen mice climbing the shrub/tree that grows above the wall on the side of our house. I see them on the ground, as well, and thought that they were living in a hole I found in the garden shed. However, I did notice a nest in the shrub, which I thought belonged to a bird. Today, I watched a pair of mice climbing through the shrub, eating the bird seed, and when I came too close for their comfort they easily slid into the nest--apparently, the nest belongs to the mice!

Mouse in the tree.

Mouse eating bird seed.

We had a near disaster today. It is still a bit of a mystery, but the brick wall in back of our house collapsed and after three hours of interviewing neighbors, speaking with the police and photographing the evidence, I suspect we had a freak wind event. A large portion of the wall appears to have been knocked down intact then broke apart when it hit the cement slope behind our home and the bricks fell into the arroyo and broke into pieces. 

The collapsed wall behind our house. 

I walked the dogs around 3 p.m. and photographed some nasty looking clouds, so I knew there would be bad weather. I did not know just how bad it would be, but I suspected we might have rain. The severe winds are supposed to come tomorrow with wind gusts as high as 60 mph.

'

Dark clouds over Sandia Peak.

 I noticed these clouds because they appeared to be three roll clouds, 

indicating fierce winds coming over the mountains. 

I left for the grocery store after feeding the dogs their dinner, but I also left the back door open. It wasn't windy at the time, or cold, and I wanted them to be able to go out if they needed to since they had just finished eating. 

When I returned, as soon as I got out of the truck I noticed roof tiles on our front gravel. I picked them up, seven or eight pieces, and realized they were not from our roof, nor did they appear to be from any of our neighbor's roofs. I thought this was odd, so I stacked them in the garage to show to my husband later. Then I took the new bird seed out back for the birds and noticed a bird feeder broken and on the ground. I also noticed some plants were knocked over. I still wasn't aware there was a problem, though. 

I walked to the far corner of our very large yard and started to clean up as we have an appointment to show the house tomorrow (we are selling the house to move to Colorado so we can be closer to the grandchildren. The dogs followed me. Nothing seemed out of place then suddenly I realized the wall was gone.

The wall collapsed evenly with the sand in the yard, 

so I do not believe someone was pulling the wall over, 

or that it had anything to do with faulty construction. 

It was hit with blunt force from inside the yard. 

At first, I just stood and stared. It seemed so odd--it just wasn't there! Then I realized the dogs were no longer fenced in. Baby, of course, hopped over the bottom row of bricks and started trotting down the street so I had to chase him down. Then I called the police. The police decided it was vandalism, but I couldn't find any signs of vandalism and they agreed that it would have taken great force to pull the wall over. No one could have come into the yard to push it over since the back door was open and the dogs would have chased them out. 

If my dogs had been in the yard or near the fence, they could have fallen into the arroyo with the bricks. If the chihuahua was outside, he would have been killed. 

I then spoke with the neighbors and our real estate agent. One neighbor told me he was at church, but heard horrific winds whipping around the church, some of the worst wind he's heard since moving to New Mexico, and this was around 4 p.m. I was in the grocery store at that time, so I would not have heard the winds. My real estate agent also heard terrible wind sounds about the same time. I also noticed that two sections of bamboo fencing are missing, so they must have blown over someone else's wall and are probably in their yard. One of our neighbors was not home, but their front double doors were wide open and their wind chimes were on the ground. Thank goodness they have strong door screens to keep their dogs inside. This, combined with the plants and the roof tiles have convinced me we were hit with a freak wind, or a gustnado. Possibly even a tornado. 

If the wind was as loud as my friends and neighbors have said, then the dogs would not have gone outside, thank God! They would not have heard the wall collapse over the wind. This possible saved their lives. The police did say they were certain the dogs did not knock the wall down as they would have tumbled into the arroyo and suffered serious injuries, and if they survived they would have been terrified and run away. They were all in the house sleeping when I came home from the store. God was definitely watching after my little creatures today. I will never leave the back door open again when I leave! 

Little Birds, Old Dogs, Mrs. Thrasher

Buddy, Holly and Chewy the chihuahua wrestling on my bed-

-yet another way they choose to keep their attractive canine figures. 

Lately, we've been walking our dogs in the neighborhood instead of in the desert. There's a few reasons for this change. First, it's springtime in New Mexico and the coyotes are mating, establishing their dens, moving a bit closer to town for some reason and acting viciously territorial. It's not worth the fight. The second reason is Baby the desert dog has put on a few winter pounds. When we take him to the desert he runs for a bit to find something to chew on, then spends the rest of his time chewing on wood and rolling in the sand. If I take him for a 20 minute walk he stays in shape.

The male little bird.

On our walks we've noticed a flock of birds that seems to follow us. They like our neighbor's trees across the street, but we've noticed they fly from tree to tree and follow us around the block. Perhaps they are curious about the dogs. We haven't figured it out. They are very small birds, smaller than a house sparrow, slightly larger than a hummingbird. I did manage to take some pictures of males and a female, which you can see to the right. I haven't identified them yet. They are a playful bunch and they love to sing. They also stay together in pairs.

I believe this is his mate, 

though it also appears to be a type of finch that could have been nearby.

Speaking of birds, our house is for sale and I will soon be saying goodbye to yet another flock of friends. I think the Thrasher family will be the most difficult birds to say goodbye to as I've grown fond of standing on the back porch and talking to them after the sparrows and finches have moved into the tall threes in the arroyo. I will miss the Thrasher family. There is a male, female, and a juvenile.

Thrashers are in the Cat Bird family, which means they have the ability to mimic the calls of other birds and even the sound of cats. I would assume this ability is a gift they were given to warn other birds of the presence of a predator. I haven't heard our Thrashers meowing, but I have heard them making sounds that are similar to crows. They are fun, and I will miss my old friends.

Mrs. Thrasher and I spend a lot of alone time in the evening.

When the other birds fly off, she sits on the wall, 

waiting for me to come outside and give her a snack.

Speaking of old friends, I have a friend whose old dog, Buddy, is suffering from a degenerative disease. He does not have long to live. Growing old is hard on dogs. They often develop arthritis or other diseases that make it difficult for them to move around, and when you live with an animal from the time they are a pup this can be painful to watch.

I also have a few old friends. Our chocolate labs, Buddy and Holly, are eight years old, which is middle-aged for the breed. However, our twins (they are brother and sister) are also a mixed breed, we believe, or so we were told when we rescued them, and mixed breeds generally live longer. They cuddle and play with each other like puppies and often cross their paws as if they are holding hands.

Buddy and Holly cuddling.

It is sweet to watch them together, they are exceptionally loving animals. Buddy has always shown more compassion toward other creatures than any animal I know. I enjoy taking him for walks because he bounces and prances just like a young pup.

My Buddy

When they were young we lived in Colorado and they loved to play in the snow. Unfortunately, it was often windy where we lived and they could not hear us calling them back to the house, I cannot even tell you how many afternoons I spend driving around our 35 acres searching for them, scared to death they were going to be attacked by coyotes, and they were attacked once! It is a miracle they survived, but they did. They are strong, healthy, beautiful friends.

Buddy and Holly with Baby, the dog we rescued from the desert, sandwiched in-between.  Baby was searching for a pack, a place to belong, and Buddy and Holly were happy to oblige.

They love snuggling on blanket at my feet while I work on the computer. 

I am praying for my friends, and their dog. They have a painful road ahead. Dogs are such a blessing to our lives and it is difficult to say goodbye, which is why I make it a rule to spend time playing affectionately with my animals each day to show them how much I love them and appreciate their presence in my life.

Chewy the chihuahua. 

This is his look that says, "Why did you stop petting me? Is there a problem?"