Sigh . . .

The Jade Plant is flowering!

Back to work.  Sigh . . .   I really needed those days off, but how did they pass so quickly and what did I accomplish?  I made a point of NOT using a list, so I did not feel pressured to get things accomplished, and although I did get a lot done I did not feel quite as pressured.  I needed that.  Now, back to reality, and the world of To Do Lists!  

Because I finished the work week on a high note, completing a couple of nasty projects that were hanging over my head, at least I am going back to the office without a big guilt load.

Over the long weekend I finished the audio book "Animals Make Us Human" by Temple Grandin.  Amazing book and I learned so much about animals and their core emotions.  Chapter Two (which I listened to three times) dealt with dogs and was full of new (to me) information.  One of the topics covered is the fallacy of "wolf packs".  Apparently wolves only live in packs with an "alpha wolf" when groups of unrelated wolves are thrown together in unnatural situations such as the pack of wolves released in Yellowstone, and the Wolf Sanctuaries where wolves are studied in totally untypical situations.  Wolves actually live in small family groups with two parents plus offspring, sometimes younger cubs and their older siblings.  The younger wolves do not challenge their parents for dominance.  This actually answered a lot of questions I've had over the years as I observe my own dogs who do not really have a hierarchy, and never challenge one another.  So the question is am I "alpha" of an unnatural pack, or the "parent" of a peaceful family group?  The latter seems to fit much better and explains why my various boys have gotten along for years, and why none of my bitches has any interest in running the show.

If you live with multiple dogs - or even if you just have one dog - I recommend this book/tape.