Today was a day that didn’t start out spectacularly. I live with generalized anxiety and depression, and while for the most part we have declared a truce today was the kind of day when it felt like they were considering violating the treaty agreement. Pretty much I just wanted to sit on the couch, couch-sitting.

But it was also the kind of day when I had a Maisy sitting on the couch next to me, looking at me with those big brown soulful eyes and quietly thumping her tail. And I had a Squash who was making a noble and much appreciated effort to entertain himself by buzzing around with a squeaky ball, but clearly needed something much, much more to work off that energy. And I had a Pip who was eyeing my every move just in case it might ultimately end in a walk.

And so, I’m just incredibly grateful to have these fantastic dogs in my life, because for them I was able to do what I couldn’t bring myself to do for myself: Get up off the couch and get out into the fresh air and sunshine. And I’m so glad for them, because it turned my day around. How could it not, doing this?

With these dogs?

Plus, there is a lovely senior gentleman who I saw all the time last summer, almost every day that we scootered. He always had a kind word and a moment for a quick chat. I hadn’t seen him for quite some time, and from time to time I wondered if maybe something had happened to him, but I saw him today. And he was all “I haven’t seen you for awhile!” and we chatted for minute, and that was a good thing that wouldn’t have happened on my couch.

When the spring grass comes up, the dogs always want to graze on their water break.

Today, Maisy decided to take a roll in the mud. It was warmer today than it has been, and was sunny, so I couldn’t really fault her for wanting to cool off a bit.

They almost always end their breaks themselves. At some point, they just wander out to the end of their lines and wait patiently.

After I got the youngsters home, I took Pip over to the community garden where I have a plot this year. Fortuitously, my plot is right next to a nice little shady patch of grass where I can tie him out and he can supervise me while I work the plot.

And here is how the plot is shaping up. I built the trellis!

The plot is about 20′ x 20′ feet; on the right the wire fence is the border. On the left, that little rectangle is right along the border. In the back, the white bucket is just at the back border (so the compost bin is actually on the neighboring plot), and obviously the sidewalk is in front.

By the time I got home I was mentally fit to go out in the world and interact with other humans; eg, go to work and be functional. And that, my friends, is the story of how my dogs saved my day. They force me to get out and moving, they put the wind in my hair, they make me laugh, their joy is contagious and after enough of these saved days pile up, I think I’ll be able to write the story of how they saved my life.

Thursday, May 22: Kept it short today, since it was warmer and sunnier than they are used to. 2 miles (cumulative 19.3 miles).