[blueridge]

I never get tired of hanging out with my dog. I've been working remotely for about 18 years, and she's been by my side for 10 of them. She's extra smart and extra stubborn, and it's taken a lot of work and serious training to build our relationship, but fuck, it is something truly special these days. We've got an understanding of one another that feels almost spiritual to me.

My favorite days are when we go hiking together—we tend to do big out-and-back day hikes up to alpine lakes. I get up at 3am to get things ready, she comes meandering down the hallway about 30 minutes later, slowly stretching and yawning, staring at my backpack and wondering if she gets to go.

And then, when she's off-leash, hiking out in front of me, checking-in and in making eye contact, waiting for my nod before she rounds a corner and goes out of sight for a moment until she checks-in again...what a feeling. When I shout "on me" and she comes running from a half a mile away back to my side...it never gets old. Or, when I call her and she doesn't come running right away, my heart stops for a minute and I think she's maybe off chasing a moose. But a minute later she comes stumbling out of the woods, soaking wet, covered in elk shit, carrying the biggest fucking stick she could find. This is living.

You only get to be a young man with a dog once in your life, and I'm doing my best to enjoy every moment. She's a tremendous source of warmth and joy.

[DLA]

Beautiful! Dogs are simply the best.