Eureka in the Pyrénées with Fréderic & Chopin | Dog’s Tail ~ Extension of Heart

Recently I again spent a chunk of time google-mapping and investigating train travel between numerous locations and their alternatives. After staring at a screen and doing this tedious stuff, when I walked outside with the dog, an intuitive understanding swept up to realign my thinking. With specific deadlines already confirmed for a cat sit on the far eastern border of Switzerland in France, and first going in the opposite direction to the west coast, I wound up booking the final stretch of travel towards my destination, then worked eventually in reverse order, to the present. It worked! Calculating train arrivals from Lyon to Geneva, a week away, I then booked the cool hostel I know in Lyon, and figured out the rest as time and bicycle availability dictated. 

Just weeks earlier I began feeling that I was extending myself too far outside of my comfort zone, of personal investment by not having a more stationary existence.Yet, within hours of arriving at my new Trusted Housesitters sit for the cat and dog (Fréderic and Chopin) of a Dutch couple living in southern France with a view of the snow-capped peaks of the Pyrénées ~ something clicked ~ the eureka moment. 

Fréderic

Chopin

Dog’s wagging tales ~ expressing affection and delight ~ are a direct extension of their heart. 

Upon conversing with the Dutch man host who told me he coaches people. he asks how they feel about situations, listen to one’s gut. He says that many of peoples’ conflicts and problems and fears, are what they perceive that have been passed on from their parents, their mothers, along generations. And he said he has no time for those who are not willing to acknowledge a conflict/behavior nor to take the steps to move towards what they can envision where they want to aspire to. 

I listened. Realized that I’ve become more experienced and efficient booking travel and hostels in between sits, so that I have no excuse not to dole out time and prioritize completing my book. Within a day or two, I lined up two new pet sitting gigs, lengthy enough to allow me to relax, and began working on my book again. And now realize that with less social distraction, I can treat the current pet sitting lifestyle in mostly rural areas as a writers/artist residency. I am thrilled, I’m his exactly where I need to be. 

Chopin has been my heavy breathing companion. When he’s not sleeping, he is busily investigating and alert to anything that moves. Even when furiously digging and poking his nose into the hole, he’ll pause to look up at any vehicle that suddenly enters the soundscape, then continues. He has had a summer camp exploratory plunge into every field and ditch and river tributary, only once needed a leash, when had to cross a stream to get to the road to the local Chateau de Castelbon. Besides digging in rodent holes, Chopin bounces through fields and showed me where all the places are to get down the river banks where he’d bound into the rivers. It was as if he knew what I wanted, looking for how deep various spots were to see if we could cross. I’d investigate the hand holds down to the river and on the other side. I discovered through contact with the dog, that stinging nettles abound. 

He would become engaged in something and always look up, look back at me, to make sure I was still there. What an amazing feeling of ‘being needed and wanted’, unconditional love. And hearing his panting return into the radar if he’d drift away. With a tail that says eveything. His tale would start wagging, pounding rhythmically on the ground if he was laying down. It really is like an extended heart. Dogs tales wag when they express delight. Between observing this dog and playing with him in all our outings for hours on end, and having to continuously be observant of where any stinging nettles plants were in my path, I was very much so ‘in the moment’. 

Today I had a spa. I took off the boots and socks and walked barefoot along a stream, a soft bed of leaves, sitting on a rock sinking my feet into sand colored wet clay, letting the cold water surround my feet. Sitting there only hearing cow bells. And Chopin in delight, like a child running from one intrigue and scent to another, and always looking back at me to make sure I’m still there. Intelligent and hyperaware, Chopin always came to me when I called. What a delight. He is well trained.

Google Photos bordering Pyrénées in France

I adored them both and the delight and affection only grey. I was in tearing as I said goodbye. Fréderic always seems to love sprawling out on the dirt, anywhere, yet, always looking fabulously clean and fluffy. He does have a dreadlock or two. He’d roll around as if giving himself a massage with the stones poking out from the soil. Slept most of the day, hunted at night. Occasionally Chopin and I would come across Fréderic on our night strolls, and the three of us would walk together. Super experience of place and of the animals reflecting the open spirit of the hosts.

blogger Carol Keiter aka nomadbeatz

Double happiness on a woven mat