A Serene Morning in Sarasota Florida 12-30-14


                                        When I awoke this morning at 7:30, the conditions were a foggy but pleasant 74 degrees. A quick check revealed the temperature in Grosse Pointe Michigan to be 20 degrees. Although it has been 5 years since I relocated down here, I could not suppress a smile. After a breakfast repast I summoned my Doberman and together we went out to the backyard to enjoy the by-now 76 degree weather. The fog was just beginning to lift in the outlying fields as we surveyed my lush and now just slightly overgrown landscaping. Nikki the Doberman spotted a monarch butterfly fluttering in the grass not far from where we stood. Cautiously and thoughtfully, especially for a nine month old 81 pound puppy, Nikki crept over to the beautiful butterfly's resting spot. I had my cell phone camera on by now and inched over to them, taking priceless video of their initial encounter. As Nikki began her investigation, the butterfly fluttered vigorously and it was only then that my puppy and I became aware of it's broken wing. Did it suffer the injury during birth? Was it the result of a violent encounter with one of the hungry Blue Jays that call my backyard home during the winter months? I could not be sure but my Doberman somehow sensed her newfound friend's plight and nuzzled her gently, as if to encourage her to take to the air. It was mesmerizing to watch and touched my heart, seeing this powerful and muscular young dog interacting with such a fragile and beautiful creature. I stood transfixed for some time. After a few precious moments, my dog signaled to me that she wished to give her backyard companion some time on her own to rest from their placid encounter. We went back inside. An hour later, we came back out, and Nikki loped directly to the exact same spot in the backyard. Her friend was still there...still fluttering about. Slowly, Nikki lowered her black and tan head to grass-level. She assessed the injured monarch's situation yet again...and with one quick chomp ate it. Back to home page Click here.