Man's Best Friend

          This weekend our group went on a miniature traveling expedition.  Friday, we stayed in a tiny, beach town called La Paloma.  We ventured out in the morning to the beach. On our way, a golden dog started walking with us.  Playfully, he started running up ahead and back.  Then, a larger dog approached our group.  Though muscular and intimidating looking, he had remarkably beautiful markings and proved to be friendly likewise.  The group of us, eleven people and two dogs walked along the beach.  Then, out of the brush, a Lassie type dog came running.  It was even more playful than the others: running up and down, getting Goldie (as we named him) hyper and more playful.  It was fun to have our new companions.
          We had no food on us, so they weren't begging; they simply joined for the leisure walk and to make friends.  We walked for about 3 hours and all three remained loyal to our side.  However, we grew weary and hitched a ride in the back of a kind woman's pick up truck. It made me sad to have to leave our new friends, but to my surprise, when the truck took off, they started sprinting along side with it! My heart was touched! We lost them by a couple blocks, but saw all three dogs running in the distance like the last scene in Homeward Bound. It was almost a good enough moment to shed a tear of tenderness.  All three of them met back up with us.
          We returned to our cabin, and sadly, the owner chased them off with a stick. Lassie came back though, and joined some of us for another afternoon walk! We went on the peer, and she braved the stressful feeling of walking out on the board walk; though she had fear, anxiety and timidity in her eyes, she came along for the adventure.  She stayed with us for over six miles, just for the enjoyment of being "walked." When we returned to the cabin again, she did not beg for food, but just laid in the cool of the patio shade until the owner chased her off again.
          We went on a day trip elsewhere on Saturday, but at night a group of us went out to the beach to watch the stars. As we ventured out again, Goldie came running towards us from the same place he had the day before! He remembered us! We sat on a ledge of grass by the beach, and he sat behind us as a protector.  When the rest of our group joined us, he barked at the "strangers," for they were unknown to him at a distance.  When we walked in return to the cabin, he escorted us. I have a new love for these creatures now because I understand more fully that they want relationship and not solely food from humans as nearly every other creature.  Dogs truly are man's best friend.