Bones, BIG BONES

When "Uncle"Terry visited here last November, he and I visited the pet section of a store and they had what looked like dinosaur bones for dogs. Terry said, "I'm gonna get that one for Shadow". The bone was BIGGER than the dog!

The bone was presented to this furry little creature and he wasn't sure what to do with it. It sure smelled good to him cause he pounced on it, but it was too big to carry. Shadow would drag it all over the yard then gnaw on it for hours. It was his favorite chew toy by far. It was fun to watch the puppy as he grew. He actually grew into the bone. Two months later, he was able to carry the bone a little easier. It still needed to be carried all around the house. I imagined back to caveman days with the first domesticated wolves deriving food and shelter, such as it was, from the early humans. Now, obviously, I am several steps ahead of a caveman (depending on who you ask) but I am able to provide creature comforts for my puppy like a digital camera, air conditioning, a roof from the rain and several varieties of food. Yes, Shadow is nothing more than an ancient creature who enjoys modern comforts.

Every now and again, when we're out on a walk, he will stop and "nose" the air. He is a thousand times more aware of whats around us. He has no fear at all, Weimaraners are intrepid. I like a dog by my side because he extends my range. Humans are at the top of the food chain by intellect alone. Naked and without tools or weapons, we aren't all that much of a challenge to tigers, for example. My little dog inspires fear in the largest of lions. I do have to balance his puppy curiosity against the known dangers. My dog has never seen an alligator (yet). I don't know if he would have an instinctual fear of them. Because we will be going where harmful creatures exist, I hope my brain and his nose and hearing will make us a team.

There was a story I'm following online about Florida. Recently its been discovered that python (snakes) have been breeding rapidly in the swamps. It is estimated that perhaps hundreds of thousands of the Burmese pythons are around. It is theorized that some escaped from pet stores or were released by owners that couldn't handle their huge pets. Open season has been declared and several have been caught, but several caught against an exploding population is something to consider. So far, the stories are from several hundred miles away. There was a sidebar of a python eating an alligator. That would have been a sight to see (from a distance, thru binoculars).