Nico: I think I smell my big brother on this stump. Me: Yeah, bud, I bet you do. He peed on that stump a couple hundred times over the past few years. Khyber had been gone for about 7 months before Nico came into our lives. Nico inherited a bunch of things from Khyber: beds, blankets, toys, bowls. I'm sure he smells him in the house and I often wonder how much his scent can be detected in our yard and woods behind our house. I brought Nico to a section of the woods behind our house that Khyber and I walked a few hours before we said goodbye. The very last picture I have of Khyber was taken next to this old rotten stump. Nico spent a considerable amount of time sniffing it today.
Shelly got a big package in the mail today and Nico thought it was the coolest thing ever. He jumped right up on top to check it out. He's been developing springs in his legs over the last few days. Earlier today, from a standing position he jumped onto the couch, on top of me, and then continued up to the back of the couch to lay down across the top. We have a rule in our house that dogs don't get on furniture unless they are invited. Nico hasn't entirely figured that out yet and at times has a hard time containing his new abilities. We give him a little leeway, but not too much.
It might seem like these photos and posts happen with little effort, but that often isn't the case. Some happen organically, Nico has a new experience and I bring the camera along. Other times, I forget to bring my camera and do what I can with my cell phone. And then there are days where the light is fading and no photos have been captured so we head out for a quickie photo shoot. All the while I try to weave together some sort of story or message that the photo and caption convey. Back at home, it takes anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour to go through the images from the day, edit a few, then select the best of the bunch. So far I've captured 1,697 images of Nico, of those, you all have seen 29. Most are out of focus or poorly composed. I have to admit that at times I wonder how far I will be able to take this journey of a photo a day. Some days it feels like the photo and story are a burden. I know there will be a point in the future when I'm not around Nico to take the photo, can I get someone to stand in? I'm slowly trying to teach Shelly 🙂. But what happens when we both go off on vacation? Will friends or family be up for helping? Or do we put Nico on pause for a short while? I think its a project worth pursuing. There is so much negativity in the world these days, especially on social media. The story of a dog growing up, learning, exploring, adventuring, and growing old is one worth telling. It's a positive story that is relatable to many. It's a story that will unfold in real-time over many years. We all have a pretty good idea of what the ending will be, but its what happens in the middle that matters the most. Thanks for coming along for the ride. We're just getting started.
