"Let sleeping dogs lie"

To lie: to be in, stay at rest in, or assume a horizontal position. Does this definition fit these photos of Moke and Maggie. Oh yes! Can a dog show you how to relax and be at one with the rug. Oh yes. They are masters of relaxation and possessors of of peaceful passivity.

They like the extra bedroom because it's quiet and , except for me, no one goes in there much unless we have visitors. My computer and desk are in this room. I spend way too much time here writing, blogging and ( information "junky" that I am) using the internet. This is , most of the time, a very peaceful place for them to take a nap and since they are both getting so old, they take lots of naps. I understand this.
Just look at Moke, though. The over head fan is on and he doesn't like the air on his face( I'm guessing), so there he is with his head under the bed. How do I know he's not dead? Because he rivals the Prospector for loud snoring and if you could hear the audio for this photo you would know he's still got a lot of life left. If there is a noise of any kind he will be up and out of here, like a shot. We laugh and say that Moke will go to his maker in mid-air. He has a cruising speed that's astounding. He can cover the whole hillside in record time, stopping only for a long sniff in his favorite holes. His back legs are getting weaker and he can't jump up onto our bed in the morning anymore to snuggle with us. But he's still a mover and a shaker outside and loves to flush anything out of anywhere. I wrote a post about how we found Moke in the mountains. Please go back and read it. His life with us was meant to be. He knows it and we are forever grateful that we found him.

Maggie, on the other hand, can be so still, for so long, that I have to go touch her once in a while to be sure she is just sleeping. When she was a puppy we lived up in a town called Volcano, Ca. The Prospector brought her home in his work truck one day and that puppy jumped out , ran into the house and immediately organized our other two dogs into a posse. She would take them on adventures around the hillsides and leave them in the dust. She'd be back first. Then our black lab would come lopeing in and finally our old dachshund would short-leg his way into the yard and sleep the rest of the day. Maggie was a wild thing. Now, she is old and has arthritis. She doesn't move very fast anymore. She's become a wonderful old ,dog friend that just wants her breakfast, dinner, dog treats and a place to lay in the garden; and , of course, a soft place next to our bed at night.

We will always have a dog. They teach you unconditional love and patience. They are smart; each having they own skills and talents. They warn you when there is danger and bark, sometimes, for no reason at all. They can be stubborn and get into trouble that astounds the imagination. When you are ready to lock them in the garage because they have been so "bad"; chewing up a borrowed book or digging up your prize plants in the garden just to get a gopher, they give you "the look". You know what I mean if you have dogs. It's almost a smile but with a sad, "I didn't mean to do this" look. The tail is down low and wagging slightly. Their whole demeanor is sorry that they have made you unhappy....., and then they forget. A cat would walk away, tail in the air, with a "darn, I got caught" attitude. I've had cats and I loved them all but dogs are where my heart lies.

I will always have a dog!