Paid Vacation

Since this blog is not just about art and illness, but also dogs, it would terribly remiss on my part not to mention Mr. Gorgeous.  That's not his real name, but it is a nickname he deserves!  He's a large and handsome collie that I dog-sit from time to time and going over to his place always feels a bit like a vacation for me.

Mr. Gorgeous on his dock.

His place is only five miles from my house, making it a doable commute even when I'm not feeling much like driving, but while there's nothing at all wrong with my home, Mr. Gorgeous lives on a magnificent piece of lakefront property.  The house itself is lovely, not too large, but with some very nice attention to detail.  When I go stay with my collie buddy, it's like going on vacation and staying at a resort, albeit one where you do your own cooking.  Mr. Gorgeous thinks I'm the cat's meow, probably because I make a fuss over him and play with him, and while he's not exactly the brightest bulb, he's so ridiculously good looking that I get a big kick out of just being around him.  I enjoy taking him for walks, especially at nearby lakefront parks where there are lots of people, because he turns heads.  He's much larger than your average collie, perhaps because he was adopted out of a puppy mill bust where I think they were probably breeding the dogs for maximum size and looks and not so much for brains.  He loves being admired and he's gentle as can be, so I happily introduce him to any and all strangers who express interest, including tiny toddlers.

He likes to hang out with me while I take pictures on his property.

I'm always glad to go back home, of course, after a gig is done, because I do get worn out by having to walk him and the demands of looking after myself and the extra driving that usually entails, but since I can't travel at this time, it's so nice to have a beautiful place right near me, complete with a dog, where I can take a break from my regular life.  I tend to take a lot of photos, but the driven idea machine that is my mind is actually capable of turning off while I'm there.  Perhaps even it is able to recognize that I have more important things to do, such as admiring the view side-by-side with Mr. Gorgeous.