The Dog Star: Looking Up
(The Dog Star is a symbol of power, will, and steadfastness of purpose, and exemplifies the One who has succeeded in bridging the lower and higher consciousness. – Astrological Definition)
On the mornings when we get into the truck to go for coffee, Koufax makes it a point to run down the slope to the pond and chase all the ducks which have gathered to be fed. He does this religiously.
Koufax has never, to my knowledge, caught a duck, nor does he seem to try. He simply lopes along the declivity, watching between 50 and 100 ducks take to the air in a blizzard of feathers.
The dog appears to be smiling.
He never tires of this nor, evidently, do the ducks, because they return as soon as Koufax is safely in the truck. Sometimes they land again before he’s even in the truck. And they do the same thing the following morning.
This is a comfortable ritual for all of us. I then feed the ducks and the dogs and I drive off. By the time we’re back, the ducks have finished breakfast. If they’re lounging on the grass, Koufax will again run down, tail and head up, far more interested in the relationship than in a repast.
We all need to create positive habits. The ducks know that they get a free meal, especially important in the winter, by putting up with the dog for a few minutes. (Buddy Beagle engenders no such fear or flight, but the ducks know he’s never around without the German Shepherd.) Koufax looks forward to making these creatures fly and creating a great racket and flurry of feathers.
And I look forward to my inclusion in the fun.
What are you doing to create constancy of enjoyment and a regimen of reward for yourself? I’ve found that dogs are quite good at it, and I’m getting better and better.
And I find that Koufax, Buddy, and I are all looking up at the sky at the same time.
© Alan Weiss 2008. All rights reserved.
