Side by Side

Yara and Uschi lying side-by-side

Snapped this photo while we were visiting Claire the day after Christmas. Uschi looks a tiny bit distressed because she popped up when I pulled out the camera and I made her lie back down. The girls get along fine and well, but I was still surprised to see them fast asleep lying end-to-end like this. Usually they jockey for position, resigning themselves to having to be so close. They are pretty hilarious to observe even in these calmer moments.

Last night I had the wackiest dream about the girls. I guess it’s odd, but I rarely dream about my guide dogs. (Well, the last few years or so it seems rare that I dream anything that I actually remember.) This one definitely seems rooted in my current situation with my mother, who is essentially mad at me. It’s sort of an involved story, but it’s not really a big thing and I’m sure it will blow over soon enough. Anyway, for whatever reason I had both dogs here and my mother was all upset about it and didn’t like the idea of one of the girls being home alone all day while I was at work. There was all this stuff about her being scared of the way the dog was acting and at one point I was apparently moved to try and problem solve how to start working Yara instead of Uschi. This seemed absurd even in the dream.

Wacky dream aside, I think I’m coming down with a sinus thing. I thought I was getting sick a few weeks back, but it passed and then I was at Dad’s and I figured I was all stuffy from the tree. But now I’m home and still equally stuffed up. Of course, it could just be the weather, which has finally decided that it is winter and become incredibly cold very quickly. It snowed a bit yesterday even. I am not pleased by this at all.

“We’re snuggled up together like two birds of a feather would be”

Yara and Uschi asleep

Yara and Santa

Yara with Santa Claus

I’ve linked this a few times before, but I thought I’d post it today since it was taken exactly one year ago. I’d wanted to get a photo done with Santa for years, but the day before I’d received the call about Uschi making Yara’s retirement official and knowing our time together was very short I was quite motivated to get this little thing done.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Waiting

Yara looking out across the lake at Washington Park

Yara’s puppy raisers dubbed her their “little supervisor” because she could almost always be found sitting in a good vantage point watching whatever was going on. And it’s still one of her defining traits even in retirement. I have to wonder if she’s actually waiting for something or really just enjoys observing the goings on around her. Either way, it certainly seems peaceful.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Family

Me and Uschi with my dad and Yara

I only just got my hands on this photo from May, so I guess it’s rather fitting in a way that I’m over a week late in participating in this particular challenge. Especially since I wasn’t around because I was spending time with my family (specifically my father, pictured above).