This is a typical picture from my childhood and amusingly enough, it holds true today more than thirty years later. I still rock a side braid, there is always a dog around, and my dad is always building something. He planned and built this house practically single-handedly, and we lived there until I went to college. We had five acres in rural southwestern Colorado and I grew up surrounded by animals and nature. I was an only child and our dog, Poppy - an Airedale-cattle dog mix - was my best friend. We would play outside all day long, hunting for crawdads or toads, building forts and playing hide and seek. Poppy was incredibly smart and I had no doubt that she understood most of what I said. I considered her my equal, my sibling, and I suppose it's no wonder that I refer to Ruby and Boca as sisters - primarily to one another but also, I think, to me. I have never known loneliness in the company of dogs.
I love looking at old photos, especially when you can see so many things that still hold true.
ReplyDeleteHa - love it! What a cool childhood buddy!
ReplyDeleteAwe! That's a cute photo! I've always had dogs since I was a small child, too. My mom had poodles and cockers and then when I was 15 I got my dog, Moe. I went a few years after moving out without dogs until the girls came home and those years were some of the loneliest times in my life. I won't ever be without a dog again.
ReplyDeleteI only ever got a cat because I knew I wasn't ready for a dog of my own!
DeleteWow what a pretty side braid!
ReplyDeleteIt's not as long OR as blonde now!
DeleteSuch an awesome photo; and that sounds like an awesome environment for a comfy home. Love the braid as well. I grew up with one awesome dog named Mindy; I'll definitely have to find some old photos from storage. I'd love to take a look - always brings back so many memories.
ReplyDeleteI was really lucky to grow up in such a beautiful place surrounded by animals. Not only did we always have at least one dog, but my grandparents who I was very close to usually had four or five at a time! We were a very canine-centric family.
DeleteThis photo is amazing. It's funny because I didn't grow up around dogs. In fact, I was terrified of dogs because I didn't know anything about them. My family didn't have them, nor did my friends or neighbors in Indiana. By the time I was a teenager, I realized I was really missing out. I adopted my first dog at 19 and started in animal rescue. My life has never been the same :) Sounds like you had a cool childhood!
ReplyDeleteThat's really cool that you arrived at dogs yourself having not grown up with them!
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