Four-Legged Beauty

One type of beauty in my life has four legs and fur. My dog is a black Lab/shepherd mix, which means her ears stand at attention and her gorgeous face is a Lab's. Dark brown eyes, a little patch of white on her chest, and a heart that desperately wants to please. When she's running, she's a streak of black grace. She jumps the five deck stairs with ease and can pull to a stop in front of the door in two seconds flat. She bounces from side to side in the air when she's playing or contemplating a treat. She makes us laugh.

Dogs have been on my mind the last few weeks for a number of reasons: I'm working on an article about them; we lost our oldest Lab a year ago this month; we're thinking of getting a new buddy for our current one. We've been working with a local and very good Lab rescue to find the perfect new addition to our home. Each dog they're adopting has his or her picture on the website. Talk about beauty--face after gorgeous face in assorted colors. They look similar, of course, at first glance, but they are all different. One little guy has the head of a Lab on the body of a basset hound. Another one has a blue eye and a brown eye. A third has two pale blue eyes set in almost white fur. Arresting.

I'm a Lab lover from way back. I love their big hearts, outgoing personalities, and friendly faces. When I look at my dog, I think, Wow, God, look at her! Look at what you made. It's very good. Thank you.