Sweet Zaagi will be 11 in October of this year.  I know that she is an old dog because she sleeps through the sound of me taking the top off the jar of puppy biscuits; because she no longer swims in swift current; because she slips every day on the hardwood floor; because no longer climbs the stairs to sleep at the foot of our bed.

Last night, I asked her to please lie down on the living room floor so I could give her the summer haircut that she so deserved.  She’s patient and wonderful, easy to groom and happy to accept the attention.  She knows that she will feel better when I’m done, and I love the time I get to spend with her.  She’s one of the dearest loves of my life.

Zaagi came into my life just before I turned 19, a charismatic puppy who chased her older buddy around the yard, grabbing at the grown dog’s tail with all her puppy energy, frequently going for short flights as the end result of her efforts.  She was just what I needed, and when she chose me over all other people, I had only an inkling of what an honor this was.

In the years since then she has been my companion in all things, my partner in life, and a best friend of a quality that I never could have known existed without the experience itself.  She has swum wild rivers, hiked steep mountain trails, and somersaulted down snowy slopes.  At my side through all my hair-brained adventures, she always makes me smile.

So tonight, coat freshly chopped and still looking a little silly, she hopped down off the back porch into the lingering summer evening and somersaulted onto the grass.  She groveled on her back in sheer joy, looking like a big puppy, and then catapulted to her feet in the beginning of a gleeful old-dog zoom around the yard.

After one full loop she returned to me and Zonker, our younger dog who relentlessly torments her every day.  She is always patient with him, but usually remains calm and collected, far too dignified to deign to stoop to his level.

Tonight, she bowed toward him, tail wagging and inviting play.  She bounced like a puppy, playing off is youthful antics and luring him into a game of tag.  Eleven years dropped away and her sheer spirit dodged with him through the trees and in huge arcing circles in front of our deck.  Tonight I had the privilege to watch one of my favorite beings celebrate the joy of her life.  As always, she makes me smile.

  Now, as I write, Zaagi sleeps soundly at my feet, her snores resounding through the room like a small freight train.  She warms my feet and helps me remember that we must always celebrate the small things in life that bring us great joy.

And I'm finally live!  This is so exciting, and so long in coming - I'm a bit overwhelmed.  And so my adventure in Vibrancy begins!  I am excited to see just where this little company goes in the future - I have my own ideas (that shall be divulged as I see fit, or as I become comfortable with them) but I do know that things like this tend to take on a life of their own.
As far as I see today, this is just the first step of me doing my part: working to celebrate what is wonderful about this place that we call home with anyone and everyone who's interested.
Welcome to liveVIBRANT!