Wide-eyed wonderer
this is golden hour on one of both atlas and my favorite places in the world: the wildwood trail in forest park.
atlas is so funny. whenever i stop to take pictures, and i’m there for a while, he comes back to check out what i’m doing. usually, he is unimpressed and continues on again.
people, atlas here.
it has been the most exciting week!
on monday, i almost caught a bird. i would have caught it, only elizabeth pulled me away at the last minute. i don’t know why. she’s so strange sometimes. (she said something about thinking it would fly away and then it didn’t but i wasn’t really listening to her.) she should have let me catch it. it was just sitting there, waiting for me. i wouldn’t have hurt it. i don’t care about birds. i just wanted to sniff it.
on tuesday night, i stopped to sniff a rock on the path. it was cold and wet and then it jumped up and hopped away from me into the pond. i tried to catch it but it was too fast for me. what was it? what was that cold wet hopping thing?!
can you believe all the excitement? and it’s only wednesday. i wonder what else will happen this week. maybe i will finally catch my rabbit.
(has elizabeth told you the story of the rabbit yet? if not, she should. it was the best day ever. for me. elizabeth remembers a runaway pup and traffic and a sprained ankle. i remember chasing a speedy rabbit. oh, the fun. maybe she should have chased the rabbit with me.)
once upon a time, i told you that if i were going to write a dog book, the dog book i’d want to write would be: “the things no one tells you about having a dog (& if they did, you wouldn’t believe them anyway)”.
well, here is another entry.
i was lying in bed one night, quietly reflecting on my day before i went to sleep. atlas’s butt was by my head. (who knows why. possibly because he likes to arrange himself at odd angles. possibly because he was asleep on the bed and i didn’t have the heart to make him move so i squeezed myself into the tiny space that was left.)
i was nearing slumber when atlas farted. did i mention that his butt was by my head?
the thing people do not tell you about having a dog is that after years of living with one, you will just smile at your beloved silly dog and try not to breathe through your nose and go back to your quiet reflection.
I am in the mood to shake things up a bit. Also, I am in the mood to talk about Atlas.
Weimaraners – really, active energetic dogs in general – need lots of physical activity. And by lots, I mean LOTS.
When Atlas gets enough exercise, he is a fabulous dog. When he doesn’t, he drives me crazy. Well, not as crazy as he did when he was a puppy, but crazy enough. It’s as if he channels the energy he didn’t expend into determination and cleverness. And oh, he is determined and clever.
When the weather is warm, he rarely gets enough exercise. He does not do well in heat, so unless I can get to the trails in the early morning, our walks are short. If he were a water dog, I’d take him swimming, but alas, he isn’t.
Fortunately, mental activity is also tiring, so here are five games I play with him to keep his sauciness at bay.
You need: a stretch of grass and some dog treats.
The basics:
Pick a starting location and stand there with your dog.
Put the dog in a stay.
Walk forward with dog treats in your hand.
As you walk, shuffle your feet in the grass to make a path.
Every couple of feet, touch the grass, as if you are putting a treat there, but rub the dog treat in the grass instead.
After a short or long distance, place the dog treat in the grass.
Turn and walk back to the dog, without walking on the marked path.
Release the dog.
(I will say that Atlas doesn’t always follow the path. But even if he doesn’t, he spends a great deal of time sniffing all around so I consider it a success either way.)
(The one trouble with this game is that you quickly run out of grass because you need a completely clean stretch of grass every time you play.)
(An easy alternative to this game is to throw a small dog treat in the grass and let the dog search for it. You might just want to watch where it lands so if it looks like they’ll never find it, you can help. I like to shout HOT/COLD at Atlas, even though I am pretty sure he has no idea what I’m saying.)
You need: dog treats.
The basics:
Put your dog in a stay, ideally somewhere they can’t see you.
Hide dog treats around a room or around the house.
When you’re done, release the dog and let them find the treats.
At first, you’ll want to hide the treats in plain sight, somewhere they can be easily found. Slowly, you can hide them in more difficult locations. Under couch cushions or carpets can be fun. Also consider balancing them on doorknobs. Just keep in mind that your dog will be excited so maybe avoid spots with breakable objects.
(I put Atlas in the kitchen. If he peeks his head out while I’m hiding the treats, we start over.)
You need: a few cups and dog treats.
The basics:
Put a treat under one of the cups.
Shuffle the cups around while the dog watches.
Let the dog find the treat.
(I think the idea is that they will use their nose to locate the right cup. As far as I can tell, Atlas checks under all of them. But it’s still fun.)
You need: dog treats.
The basics:
Put a dog treat in one of your palms with your dog watching.
Make two fists with your hands. (There will be a dog treat in one of them.)
Place your hands behind your back.
Sometimes you’ll switch the dog treat to the other hand; sometimes you won’t. I like to switch it back & forth a few times and see where it ends up.
Place your fists out in front of you and tell the dog to find the treat.
When the dog sniffs a fist, open your hand. If there is a dog treat, they get to eat it. If there isn’t, put your hands back behind your back and shuffle and let them try again.
(Atlas has developed a strategy. If he picks the wrong hand, he picks the other hand the next time. Unless he’s picked the wrong hand a few times in a row, after which he starts picking the same hand again and again. He’s so cute and silly.)
You need: nothing, unless you want to give them a treat.
The basics:
Put your dog in a stay.
Hide.
Release them and call them to you.
When they find you, jump up and play with them and scratch them.
(You don’t really need a large house for this. I hide behind doors and behind the bed. The only trouble with a small house is that after a while, all they have to do is check all the available locations.)
Feel free to ask if you want me to clarify anything.
{remember when atlas was in a splint and we sat on the couch for two months? oh, sweet splinted atlas. i just love him.}
i am a treasure trove of information.
i read a lot. about everything. (to give you some random examples, i read about divorce & childbirth & recruiting talent, none of which apply to me at all.)
i am immensely curious. i love learning about things. i love trying things. i can make useful connections between things that seem completely unrelated.
i am also very good at explaining technical and abstract and confusing things in a way that is accessible.
whether it’s an idea, or a resource, or a place to look, or someone to talk to, or a different perspective.
in my quest to create a business that sustains me, i have tried to find a way to use this knowledge to create an offering that helps people with a particular problem and is of value.
i have the knowledge and the creativity to do this in a lot of areas. it is a beautiful way to be of service. and i cannot make myself do it. (for various reasons, none of which seem relevant.)
i’ve also tried to think of a way to share this information on my blog. the problem is that my knowledge is vast and is accessed best when someone or something draws it out.
so, i have all this useful information, and it is not often that it does anyone but me any good.
well, it is both atlas and my relationship with atlas.
atlas is wise & loving & much more succinct than i.
he is also one of my greatest teachers.
it’s an advice column that’s gone to the dogs! (sorry, i couldn’t resist.)
think of us as your own personal version of dear abby.
if atlas doesn’t have an answer, i probably will.
(side note: advice might be the wrong word, but suggestion column just doesn’t have the same ring.)
dogs. self-help. mindfulness. holistic wellness. photography. creativity. finding your style. communication. writing. relationships. inner work. books. dealing with stress & overwhelm & anxiety & body issues & self-hatred. healing. seeing things through new perspectives. accessing your inner wisdom. incorporating rest & play & pleasure. choosing joy. finding beauty in the ordinary. seeing yourself & others with love & compassion.
ask us a question. ask for our help. ask for ideas or suggestions.
we’re at: eahalt (at) mac (dot) com.
if it’s personal, we’ll answer you privately.
if it’s useful, and you don’t mind, we’ll share the question and answer on the blog. (once i decide on a day, that is.)
if we’re stumped, i’ll tell you, but i’m pretty good at research so i can probably point you in a general direction.
we’re looking forward to your questions!
once upon a time, there was a tiny puppy. he had big blue eyes, silvery grey fur, and velvety soft ears.
the thing no one knew about this puppy was that his coat was actually a soul. it was a beautiful soul. his job was to keep the soul safe until the person he was holding it for realized that it was hers.
it took her a few years to realize that her soul was lost and to find it again but her soul was there beside her all along, caring for her, watching over her with love, waiting to be reunited.
on the day she welcomed her soul home again, there was a silent clap of thunder and a chorus of hallelujahs.
even without the soul, the puppy’s coat was silvery grey and beautiful. the only change was the addition of two tiny dim spots on his shoulders where the soul had been connected.
the end.
think fruit of the month club, only instead of fruit, it holds tiny stories that remind you of joy, magic & wonder.
i am especially fond of the story club because i created it to be something in which you both give and receive. when you join, you get to invite a friend to join with you. and, part of the cost goes to help me gift subscriptions to children in the hospital.
it is going to be magical.
won’t you come and join me in the story club?
i would love to have you!
this is your last chance to sign up for postcards from atlas!
based on this photo, it’s a good thing he’s practicing. i think i need to show him how to hold a pen.
hello, folks. atlas here.
wouldn’t you love to get actual postcards from me?
well, you can.
registration will close in the next week or two but there are still some spots available – and i’d love to have you.
happy happy arrrrrroooooooooooo! come on in, you know you want to!
six months of postcards from this cool dude: $33
the smile you’ll have on your face when you see your postcard in the mail every month: priceless
you can sign up for postcards from atlas today. they start in july.
(i found this photo in the archives, and i remembered that it was the one dress-up photo atlas did not mind at all. probably because he agreed with the sentiment.)
partly because it is most definitely not wednesday.
a very disgruntled atlas says, “please don’t click this link.”
{inspired by my sister helen and weird al and brought to you by my silly sense of humor.}
if you love atlas, and want to receive wise & silly love notes from him, you can sign up here.
I'm Elizabeth. My highest values are beauty, truth, freedom & love. Everything I share comes from that.
