One Broken Cat and One Happy Dog

My BigAssCat (aka Bassy) broke when a neurological event left her with a shepherd's crook tail. At first, she minded -- especially since the tail dragged along behind her. Now it seems as if she no longer notices. I do, though, and I miss its expressively alert attention.

Oscar has alertness and more, writ large. Every time I see him and his human at the lake, I am cheered by his joy. Today, he was already filthy when they encountered me, so he chased sticks into the water to get him. Immediately afterwards, though, he lolled and scratched and rolled in the sand, leaving him like this.
I call this picture "Oscar and Me."

Do you see me?

No?

I'm there.

Look him right in the eye. 

Springing at Three Venues

I
Lake Cheston

blue sky, budded trees, warm temperature, toad strings waving the water, Oscar swimming, and one Fragile Forktail sunning

II
J's Garden

twin-leaf, bloodroot, grape hyacinth, daffodils, vinca, celadine poppy, budded trillium

III
Abbo's Alley

Virginia spring-beauty, vinca, daffodils, Japanese magnolia, bluebells

It's been a long wait.

Discarded Prize

Two days ago, when I last saw Oscar, an enthusiastic black dog (my favorite of the regular Lake Cheston canines), he carried an empty fish, all husk without organs and flesh, like an Olympian champion might his country's flag: so proud, so joyous, Oscar running to catch up with his human in a victory lap.

Today, almost three-fourths of the way around the lake on the opposite side, I caught the fish out of the corner of my eye, stopped and studied its serried scales, mottled blue and cream in dull light and embedded with sand grains, and saw beauty even in defeat.

Lake Cheston ABCedarian: R

R is for REFLECTION, RELATIONSHIPS, and REVERENCE