Dragons CAN be beaten.

 “We have to listen to the child we once were, the child who still exists inside us. 

That child understands magic moments.” 

~ Paulo Coelho

Even in the midst of all the upheaval in my life, magic moments still happen.

It would be remiss of me NOT to take cognisance of them and 

FOOLISH in the extreme NOT to enjoy them.

THIS morning was one of those magical moments.

Heaven on my doorstep.  

Bright sunshine, cobalt blue skies and a nip 

in the early morning air that’s indicative of winter approaching.

I love it.

Cooper  trying to help Sam retrieve the ball

Mornings like this are sublime.

Even the hound feels it.

There’s an enthusiasm in her that is palpable.

Our ramble to the viewsite is done at her pace.

There are pee-mails to read.  

Hounds to greet.

Fur-balls to terrorise.

Sometimes little steps at a slower pace are necessary.

As I breathe in the crispness of the morning air, a sense of calm envelops me.

Paradise DOES exists.  I live in it.

The waves are calling though and the hound’s pace quickens as our descent to the beach begins. 

 She can smell the saltiness in the air.

There are logs in abundance on the sand so the ball’s been left at home.  

The feet-seeking missile arrives and my job begins in earnest.  

Log after log after log is flung into the waves for one or other Labrador to retrieve.

It's not just our hounds entertaining the locals this morning.

Winter hours ensure a larger than usual puddle of hounds on the sand.

Whilst I amuse the hounds Carol responds to calls on her mobile phone.

It’s being more demanding than is it’s usual want.

Humphrey, whoever he is, must have given the wrong number to his doctor.

It’s ok Humphrey. 

You might not know your current state of health but Carol sure does.

Cooper bounces ...

Ah yes, my world is as good as it can be at the moment. 

 I’m learning to dance in the chaos.

... over the waves.

“Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that Dragons exist, 

but because they tell us that Dragons can be beaten.” 

~ G.K. Chesterton

I envy her dim-wittedness.

“I am NOT what happened to me.  

I am what I CHOOSE to become.” 

~ Carl Gustav Jung

There are times when everyone feels defeated.  

Let down.  

Crushed.

We look into ourselves and can’t always see a way out.

It’s easy to stay there.

To abdicate responsibility for this gift that is life.

Then I happen upon a quotation like that.

I read and digest a blog written in 2010 about rocking your way forward, 

no matter the boulders in your path.

... and it reminds me that EVERYTHING in life is a CHOICE.

Even FREEDOM is a choice.

All of us get to consciously decide what has meaning in our life and what doesn’t.

I choose to focus on the positive.

I choose to focus on the issues I can control.

I choose to be flexible with those I can’t.

I choose to ramble too.  

Often.

It’s a choice that guarantees that ‘feel-good’ feeling.

It’s a choice that allows me to BE in-the-moment.

This state of being-in-the-moment is what’s so compelling about the hound. 

It’s hard for us humans to get that. 

Even in the most difficult of times, 

she’s cheerful and ready for any action or new experience.

Despite her intelligence though, there’s a dim-wittedness 

to this happiness and carefree state that I can only envy.

She doesn’t DO despair.

She doesn’t DO defeat.

If she was human, her mantra in life would probably read something like this.

“My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; 

and to do so with passion, compassion, some humour and style.” 

~ Maya Angelou

Is it any wonder I have need of her in my life.

Hope. is. everywhere.

 “Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny ...” 

~ C.S. Lewis

Takapuna Beach on a glorious Friday morning.

At times I’m discouraged by the negativity that seems to dominate my world at the moment. There are times when it brings me down. 

All I see around me is despair, a lack of confidence  and sadness.  

We see SO many different breeds of dogs there ... from this little Dachshund

It makes me lose hope for the people in my life.

... to this rather nervous German Shepherd.

Then I’m reminded of this quotation from Jack Sparrow

“The problem is not the problem. 

The problem is your attitude about the problem.  

Do you understand?”

This was the rather vocal German Shepherd's buddy.

I understand COMPLETELY.

 Attitude is everything.

Sam found a friend the same age to play with .... Richie after Richie McCaw

I have to CHOOSE to focus on the little victories.

On the magic of the moment as it happens.

On the sunshine and the blue skies.

Even on the ‘words falling out of my mouth’ thingy.

A rather grumpity looking Boxer.

Be grateful for what IS in your life because

HOPE. is. EVERYWHERE.

Had to get Carol to wait whilst I captured the reflection in her glasses ... it was sublime!

I might not be in control of the situation, 

but I am in control of my thoughts.

A Hinds Variety that we've met before ... he loves his tennis ball as much as ours love their rugby balls.

THINK good ones and REMEMBER the magical ones.

A trio of chocolate mousse .... white, milk and dark.

This moment with Sam on Friday WAS a magical one.

Another Border Collie cross

Often, when the hounds get up close and personal, it’s impossible to zoom out and refocus quickly enough to capture the feel of the moment. 

Not so in this case.

The sister of the Shetland Sheepdog duo

Sam’s face says it all.

Oh yes .... he's realised just how clever that was.

He knocked my coffee over.  

Spillages are lickable.  

Yummily so!

Yep .... that was YUMMY!

The first time was an accident.

The second DEFINITELY wasn’t.

The Sparrow that distracted me.

I was distracted by the Sparrows.  

He was distracted by my coffee ... deviously so!

It was a smile inducing moment.  

Humour by the bucketful.

A necessary accessory in this crazy world I’m living in.

The brother of the Shetland Sheepdog duo

“If you only walk on sunny days, you’ll never reach your destination.”

~ Paulo Coelho

Outside the Takapuna Cafe where we indulge our caffiene addiction after our ramble