SEEING is beautiful

I have an advantage as dog for I can not video tape, I can not hold a camera heck I can not hold a phone. My eyes are my lenses and my memories are my pictures.

I heard my human tell a story about the first time she went to Italy. After her return she had hundreds of pictures and years later it was those pictures she remember not the experience of that first trip. She is lucky, she returned many times.

I do understand the concept of what is coming tomorrow. I only understand today.

Today was beautiful. Technicolor. That is what I believe you call it. The greens where so light they looked fake and trees came in orange and white and red. Mustard weed field fields with yellow and the air with sweet aroma. Orange fields, the Apple fields looked as good as they smelt. Raccoons crossed the street and the sky was abundant with birds. The unfamiliar sound of hooves on pavement lead way to the smells of a horse. The winds were gentle, the sun warm upon my fur and my paws tingling cold with feel of the snow. Today was an experience I saw with my eyes and I heard with my ears and I smelt with my snout and I touched with my pads and I tasted when I eat. Today was beautiful

Try to be as nature intended once in awhile. Put down your camera, stop talking outwards and let what be in. For all that I am, I am made of my experience and they linger as long as your film.

I have an advantage, I know seeing is beautiful.


"What touches us, lingers." Emma Zen!

Leftovers

Knowing me as you all do, you probably all assume this is about food! It's not. Today I had to wait around. My Dad had to go get something from Harley Davidson. My Mom had to get this and that too. It got me to thinking: Why do humans need so much?

If you take away my collar, my leash and my toys what is leftover is me. And I, am dog! If you were stripped of your things who would you be?

Just curious. (The cat is wearing off on me.)

Emma the dog.

Canine Lit Program

I am a P.A.W.S. Therapy Dog (Pets Are Wonderful Support) a program sponsored by the Orange County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (that's a mouth full) OCSPCA! They invited me to join a six week program implementing the R.E.A.D. program of Utah. Confused yet?

Well, I here it's all that and a box of biscuits! I know everyone would understand if I stuck my snout in the air over this. But I don't think then, that you'd being seeing it from my point of view.

Today, I was lying on a blanket and this kid was reading "Alice in Wonderland" to me. He was telling me all these tails about rabbits, caterpillars and cats! I was laying down when I rested my head on his leg. The child kept reading and with his left hand started stroking my head. When he got to the end of the page he showed me the picture on the page. I licked it, because I knew I was suppose to do something. Then he turned the page and did the most incredible thing. He held the pages in my direction and he sort stretched his neck to read on an angle to me. And when he was done with his chapter he got down on my level and held onto my face and asked, "Did you like that story Emma?"

I know everyone would understand, being a part of such a prestigous events, if I stuck my snout in the air. But instead I choose to nuzzle my new friends, kiss those I can get away with kissing and tell everyone I know, "I love reading with kids!"


Emma, the other student

Postmaster

Do you know why we bark at the mailman?

It's not because we are being dogs. It is because everytime I bark at him, he goes away! And like all dogs, I love success!

There's a lesson there in positive reinforcement.

And you thought I was being bad? Learn to look for the good!

Emma

Listen Up

I just want to be famous. I want people to know me, notice me. I want to have more recognition then I already do. I want to be famous.

I don't want to be a movie star. I don't want to walk up and not be able to walk around dog park. But I want to be a star! I don't want to do paw prints at signings or stand in the light on a red carpet. But I want them to say there she is!

I want to be famous. I want to be famous so I can have a louder voice and people who listen. As I climb the tree of recognition I have met humans with hearts as big as dog! Some save, some teach, some humor. Some help, some assist, some ride! If I were famous more people would hear. I love to sing a song of praise and I have so many wonderful friends to sing about. I want to be famous.

No one told me that is what fame was. No one told me that fortune was in the presentation of others. No one showed me that recognition gave you the ability to introduce. I love it!

I am good at it.. I am proud to do it. And I want to be famous!

A moment in self absorption.

Emma Zen

It wasn't me

Last week I witnessed something that was sure different this week in my own house. You see, last week Mom and I walked into a friends house, with the friend and she saw this bowl of flowers on the floor shattered and laying in the water on her wooden floors and the first words out of her mouth were, "Baxter, What did you do!!!" She was mad. Me and Mom just sat quietly in the corner while she cleaned up and stayed out of her way. While Baxter sort of slumped in the corner.

Today while I was home alone the shower door shattered into a million pieces, literally. They were all the way down the hall. When Mom walked in she said in her normal calm voice "Em Emm where you at?" and up I walked and she hugged me and asked me if I was okay?

Here within lays the difference. Not the difference in a dog (Baxter reminds innocent until proven guilty and the cat wasn't talking.) but the difference between humans. Not that one is good and one is bad. But one lives not looking for someone to blame all the time. I am not here to explain all of that, it is for you yourself to learn how to live happy and free. But I do want to point out that your state of mind does make a difference in how you see me or see your own dog.

So if you fall into Baxter's Moms situation, I have one thing to say. In doing your best to take care of your animals, take better care of yourself. It trickles down, believe me!

Emma Zen

Scary Noises

Emma, can you tell me why my 16 year old basset hound is horribly afraid of vacuum cleaners?

Well, in a word, "no."

I assume all dogs and people can be afraid of the same thing for different reasons. The best I can do is to share my own experiences.

I am not real fond of the vacuum cleaner but I use to shiver every time I heard a hair dryer! It could be the noise? Sounds, pitch that we animals hear that you don't. I don't much prefer the hum of leaf blowers either. Even when I am inside the noise just gets to me. My human had a few tricks though to help me overcome my fears.

1. Whenever I am afraid or unsure of something, she turns it into a massage! When the hairdryer or the vacuum cleaner is off the nose or the nozzle can double as a great tummy scratchier! I have learned that these machines I still don't prefer on, our not half bad when they are off! She has tricked me over the years this way too. You know that thing they sell on TV that files your dog nails, heck I thought that things was muscle relaxer for the first two months.

2. Then I learned to not fear the hairdryer when she was using it but if it was my turn to get blown dry I would still be so hesitant to enter the restroom. Thinking it was the noise she put these big human ear muffs on me. (They are the kind you use when you shoot a gun.) I have taken them to a gun range, a live blasting and the race track) I am sort of fond of them now.

3. I believe you humans call all that "desensitizing". If this doesn't work understand one thing. The vacuum cleaner IS scary! Have YOU ever laid on the ground and watched that thing come at you?

4. Maybe a dog can be afraid due to insecurities? Crate him/her when he is scared. If you are not use to crating your dog you should know that the only person that thinks the crate is cruel our humans. Us dogs love the security our own tight little space can bring us.

5. If all else fails, remove me. Have someone take me on a walk while you clean. As much as you want to teach me it's okay, I just may be better off outside.

Note: Speaking of "teaching me it's okay" remember saying "good girl" or "it's okay" while I am shivering up a storm because you have the monster running. Is only teaching me that my scared behavior is correct. Don't use human words of encouragement to try and calm me down. I am a dog and we do not respond to that emotions. Give us reinforcement when we are in a calm state around the object of fear. My human made me sleep with the bicycle trailer for two weeks when we first got that stupid thing! Now, I love it!!! Just a note.

Emma Zen