LOVE

I was walking my 15-pound Cavalier King Charles Spaniel on a late fall day.  It was about three o'clock in the afternoon.  It was 45 degrees and windless and as I looked up and saw the cirrus clouds parting to let the warming sun's rays through it suddenly felt like an early spring day.  I stepped up my pace since I knew the sun would soon dip and that the mood would quickly change.  I looked down at Toby as he strutted along and as we started to turn onto the next road I spotted our neighbor across the street with her 90-pound Irish Setter.  We waved and started to walk towards each other as our dogs strained at their leashes, pulling us along.  I sensed the excitement and anxiously released the leash; my neighbor, reacting to this, let go of her's.  We watched as the two dogs hurriedly careened towards each other, their tethers sliding on the ground behind them.  They would be so happy to touch each other, I thought to myself, how cute!  I watched them come closer and closer until they almost met, when they blithely ran past each other.  Toby jumped up and bounded against my neighbor to kiss her.  Her dog brought his big head over to nuzzle me.  So much for intraspecies love, let's go for the other.

Anita