This morning I caught sight of them as I sat at my desk, which is by a window. My neighbors, Cheryl and Denny, were returning from their morning walk in the woods that go behind our houses, and with them, as always, were their two gleaming black Labs, Megan and Heidi. How majestic those two dogs looked as they passed my house. Somehow, Megan and Heidi manage to be sturdy and serene at the same time—at least on their walks—and it seems to me that their theme song should be Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition.”  

I know this is a food blog, but now that I am on the subject of dogs, there is no help for it. There must be a bit about dogs before moving on to bread. 

Megan and Heidi were both adult dogs when we got our dog, Liam, as a puppy. From the very first, they both loved Liam, who was perhaps even more foolish and excitable than most puppies. Megan and Heidi would let Liam jump and bite and carry on, which he did with fevered abandon. Those dogs were models of patience and a wonderful example for we humans in dealing with our own young.  

Often the “girls,” as I have come to call Megan and Heidi, would crouch down lower so that Liam could interact even better with them. And Megan, especially, would nuzzle Liam’s fuzzy little neck. It really was a joy to see these two Labs interact with our puppy.  

As Liam grew, in body if not in mind, his relationship with Megan and Heidi changed. The girls began to set limits, letting Liam know that his pesky, jumping ways, while appropriate for a puppy, were no longer appropriate for a growing dog. Heidi, in particular, with growls and snaps (but never bites!), instructed Liam to mind his manners. 

Liam is friendly but willful, and it took him a while to learn this lesson, but learn it he did. Now, when he meets Megan and Heidi on the road, he is properly enthusiastic, happy to see them, but no longer pesky and annoying. He leaps into the air as they approach—all four paws leave the ground—but he doesn’t jump on them. 

How could I not give bread to the owners of such fine dogs, each possessing a huge dose of doggy wisdom? I also want to add that Cheryl and Denny, energetic dog lovers, are the perfect owners of Labs, which tend to be pretty energetic themselves. There are daily walks in the woods as well as water excursions and hikes when the weather allows. 

Those dogs have a good life, and it was a real pleasure to give bread to such good neighbors.

Note: This was yet another week where Shannon did not get bread. I believe this is week three of no bread for Shannon. A decided trend.