Certain images do not leave me. I have a few of them locked in my mind forever.
The most recent one inspired an earlier blog post about our four white Swiss shepherds guiding a newly born fawn to safety (to Sherry sitting on the front steps of our house). I received a lot of responses to this little story. Several responders doubted that our dogs would do such a loving thing. I don’t blame them.
In my eyes, it was a tiny Sunday morning miracle in Washoe Valley. After all, our dogs were not raised to be kindhearted to strangers of any sort. They protect our property from intruders. Just one of them can be threatening to strangers who approach our gate unannounced. They chase after squirrels and rabbits, stare down packs of coyotes and even encourage curious bears to stay clear of our fenced property.
However, on this warm fall morning, there they were, prancing proudly along in the snow, through the creek and into the front yard with this precious little fawn – two dogs at her side and the other two nudging her forward from behind.
Maybe some dog psychologist can try to explain our shepherds’ behavior.
As an experienced and wise old man, I know I witnessed another miracle.
God, it’s great to be alive.