dog days in summer

I must apologize for not getting anything uploaded this evening, but I have been spending most of my time with my good old Professor Jiggs. And there are two reasons for that.


The first is pictured at the top of the blog. While I was in Melaque, those irish setters were on the beach every day along with their owner -- a local, probably in his late 50s. He would bring the pair of dogs to the beach. Never on a leash. But they were two of the best-behaved dogs I have ever seen. Other dogs would join them on the beach and leave very reluctantly with their owners. In town, I never saw another street dog show any aggression to this pair.


And they were at bliss on the beach. The evening I took their photograph, they had found a coconut in the surf and had been playing with it as if it was the best dog toy on earth. The one on the right is meticulously removing the husk.


What I learned is that a big dog with a heavy coat can lead an active and happy life in Melaque. But I also learned I can have that same time with Jiggs now.


The second reason for spending time with Jiggs is one that many readers have recently experienced. I read Ted Kerasote's Merle's Door while I was in Melaque. I have rather mixed feelings about the book. It is not often that I can enjoy an author's work when he makes himself so unlikeable in the book. Fortunately, the story was not about his elitist ways; it was about a dog he found on a river trip, and how he pushed the envelope to see how far the dog could accept personal responsibility. In Merle's case, he could accept whatever was offered, with a few painful exceptions.


Every book of this nature ends in the same way -- the dog dies. It is almost as if Old Yeller has set the trend for every dog tale. And Merle's death is described in every noble and painful detail. For me, it was a reminder that my dog is going through those end times as well. And I need to spend as much time with him as I can.


So, dear readers, that is why there is no Melaque story posted today. Instead, I am enjoying a beautiful summer day with my golden-haired boy. And he has been enjoying every moment.