How Can One Resist A Flying Leaf?

Remember my sweet little Sadie? You know the soft and cuddly, easily distracted, mischievous, heart warming little Cavalier King Charles Spaniel? She’s the one gifted with puppy dog eyes, a tail that can melt even the toughest heart and a knack for napping. When she’s awake her sense of adventure brings a smile to my heart. Every ounce of energy she can muster is poured into her activities.

The Great Outdoors

The other day we went on one of our many visits to the great outdoors. Each time we venture outside it’s as if she’s on a new adventure. My main focus is taking care of the obvious. It is my opinion that she should share the same goal. We both should be on the same page. Right? However, that’s not how Sadie sees it. She has her own agenda. She would much prefer to take things slowly. You know, “stop and smell the roses” kind of mentality. Every nook and cranny falls within her category of “needs to be explored.” We must not only smell the roses, but also the trees and bushes, and every inch of the ground.

Drifting In The Wind

One of her all-time favorite past-times is chasing leaves drifting in the wind. What exactly catches her eye I am not certain. I don’t know if it’s the leaf or the commotion it creates when it sails on past her. Either way she simply can not resist its magnetic attraction. We MUST fall into pursuit.

Watching her flit about, as she darts after the tumbling leaf, is entertaining. She draws pure joy out of this simple task. At first I find her puppy’s enthusiasm enjoyable to observe. But as time passes by and our (my) main focus gets lost, in the wind, with each leaf that takes flight, I grow more and more impatient. I attempt to reel her back to reality to regain control of our mission. Often I am successful. Yet other times it’s a fruitless endeavor.

Free-Spirit Leaf

On one of our recent visits Sadie was again distracted by a free-spirit leaf. She took up hot pursuit as soon as it passed her by. Her little legs carried her this way and that as the leaf staggered about. Eventually the leaf was captured by one of her paws. Since we have inches of snow on the ground a pounce by a puppy is most certainly bound to sink into the snow. The leaf she had so joyously pursued became trapped inside the depression her paws had made. With the movement of the leaf suddenly still Sadie stood motionless peering in at it as if to say, “Come on, get going.” She swiped one of her paws beneath the leaf in an attempt to send it back in flight. Her efforts were not successful. The leaf, now buried inside a hole, was no longer inviting. The connection between Sadie and her flying leaf had been lost.

Focus Sadie, Focus!

I was grateful for the broken connection. We had a mission to tackle and time was a wast-in. “Focus Sadie, focus!” I exclaimed.  Eventually we were successful at completing my mission. Together we walked the familiar path back to our home and brought to an end Sadie’s adventure. Encounters with flying leaves, rolling snow balls, dandelions seeds and anything else that moves will always tug at Sadie’s heart. After all she is a “free spirit.”

Keep chasing the wind Sadie!