Eli and his duck

It is funny to me how animals can put a smile on a person's face. Or how they can lift someones spirit when they are feeling a little blue. I am amazed that the kind of bond a human can share with an animal. I have read in newspaper articles how animals can prolong the life of a person because of the joy they bring to people. I know that I feel good when I come home and I see two tails wagging furiously because I simply walked into a room. I love that when I say to Maggie "lets go for a walk" she gets a little pep in her step and goes and gets her leash and brings it to me. My dogs provide me with lots of joy. They also provide me with frustration and elevated levels of stress when they are too loud or when they disobey but so do people.

And once in awhile I will notice (like actually pay attention for more than 5 minutes) and I see that they are doing something cute and likable. For example: this morning while outside Eli found his duck toy. His duck toy is a plush mallard duck that honks when he squeezes it. When he was younger I allowed him to play with it in the house but since he has gotten bigger it is just too much for our small spaces. So outside the duck lives.  Sir Duck spends most of his time in a "dog" basket on our front porch. Today Eli found Sir Duck and had a good ole time in the front yard. When I opened up the front door to let him in he forgot all about Sir Duck and came running in. Then as if a light bulb went off in his brain he quickly turned around and when trotting back to the door. Well I had closed the door determined that Sir Duck would not become another thing for me to pick up. Eli stood at the door and looked at me. He used his puppy dog eyes and whined for me to let him bring his toy inside. It has been 40 minutes and he still wants it. He has paced the floor. He has rested his chin on my knee. Finally at 9:40 he gave up and is asleep on the rug. I know that the next time I let him out it will be like Christmas for him when he see's his beloved toy.

Just a small slice of my morning to share!