Fear.
And Promise.
The Future
Inevitable Change.
19 months ago, I said goodbye to an icon. The dog that taught me what a search dog was supposed to be. The dog that taught me what dedication was. The dog that taught me what drive was. The dog that taught me what willful disobedience was. The dog that taught me that dogs read wind better than humans and silly puff bottles do.
She is gone.
Here he comes. I am afraid I won't live up to the things I think I have learned. I am afraid I won't live up to what he will need me to be.
I have to try. I have to keep moving forward and give him the best possible chance at making a difference.
I suspect, he is just the push I have been needing.
Not I See. Not Icy (that's his aunt). I.C.
In the SAR world, the I. C. is the Incident Commander. The IC knows all that is going on and directs the search. I decided that I should have the IC with me! Cuz I KNOW he is going to direct the search!
He was born May 31st, 2011. Soon, he will be home with us, and my new adventure will start. I am not sure I am ready for this. The funny thing is... I think he IS!
Running around the shore, watching with envy as Kaeden leisurely swam, Raezor flitted back and forth nimbly, never venturing in more than chest deep. We looked on, assuming that if she really wanted to she would get in.
My lack of patience won out and I tossed a stick. I figured what had happened in the past would happen again - Kaeden goes after the stick, and she waits on shore to attack him and take the stick.
Imagine our surprise as the stick hit the water and Raezor flew in from shore like a true dock diving dog! She very nearly jumped all the way to the stick itself! It took a bit for her to stop trying to hold her head up (and thus look like she was swimming straight up in the air) and that first swim back to shore she fairly well road Kaeden back in. But after more tosses of a stick and successful swims out and back, Raezor started to look like a dog that knew how to swim!
Then we stopped at one more spot along our journey home. This one not so calm as the first. As a matter of fact it had a pretty decent speed to it. We tossed a stick in anyway, and she took off with Kaeden after the stick and didn't panic even when the current caught her. For a bit she simply treaded water in the current and then properly rode the current to shore, watching Kaeden"s every move.
Then she started just playing in the water. Pawing at the things on the bottom of the creek. The next thing we knew... she was doing this...
Over and over again... pawing and shoving her head in
Sometime's she'd come up with a stick
And sometimes, nothing at all
Nevertheless, she kept dunking her head in, hoping for something good
It was a good water day.
