It’s cool and raining here this morning, the kind of weather that makes me want to pause before diving into what I already know will be a busy week. The steady rain on the tin roof, windows open, a snoring Poptart… slow and quiet here but come this afternoon, is the start of the one week I have scheduled each month when things ramp up (dog walks, pet-sitting, etc.), making sure all the mouths around here are fed well and cared for. It’s worth it for me to have one busy week to have all the rest of the days kinda free and open for whatever….
Outside of this monthly stretch of busy, I’ve been trying to live slower. To soak up all the good that my life has settled into, especially Reece in what feels like his most joyful chapter yet. Since he and Ellen have formed the sweetest little companionship, I’ve been spending my days differently. Most afternoons after work, I come home around lunch and do a lot of “nothing” … laying in the hammock while those two keep each other company, piddling with a bit of yard work while keeping an eye on them, or napping inside with the windows wide open, listening for the occasional “stress bark” to call me back outside, but there is no stress out there, only been pure peace.
Because of Reece’s quirks, I’ve always stayed close when he’s outside, but this week with so much on my plate, I’m going to experiment with giving him a little more freedom. He’s too old and stiff to try scaling a fence, and digging has never interested him. Instead, he rotates between his favorite spots - a cool patch of dirt, his posh memory foam bed, or his most prized lounging spot, the hammock. My mom is kindly helping me with Poptart and this place while I’m busy and away, so I’m setting up cameras to check on him while I’m gone a few hours here and there.
What I’m realizing is that the weather has been so perfect lately, and Reece has never seemed happier than he does just being a yard dog. I’ve had him since February 2019, and in all those years I don’t think I’ve ever seen him this content. If it weren’t for the parade of critters that roam after dark - opossums, armadillos, foxes, rabbits, and of course those little stink bombs known as skunks, I think he’d happily spend the night outdoors too (he quite literally makes me drag his butt in every.single.night... He’s the only one of my dogs who’s never been skunked, and I’d like to keep it that way. Baby, Eddie, and even Poptart have all had their smelly encounters.
So here we are: a rainy, cool morning on the farm, the start of my busy week, and the gift of watching an old dog find the utmost happiness in a new chapter. There’s something so grounding about letting life slow down, even in the midst of busy, and seeing happiness take such a simple shape.
I’ve let time get away from me and gotta run! I’ll be back this eve when I’m settled in at my work spot later and post photos from the last week. Expect Reece and Ellen, some amazing thrifted finds, and snapshots of various things on and off the farm - you know I memorialize everything :)
xo
-s
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