And on the seventh day....

It is the seventh day of Christmas – and the last day of 2014.  Tomorrow will be 2015 - how can that be? Wasn’t it only three or four years ago that we were worrying about Y2K? 

I’ve been staring at the keyboard for almost three hours, trying to come up with something erudite and witty to say for this last post of the year.  I have nothing. Even doing a summary of the year's events leaves me with little.  I have the same critters at this year’s end that I had at its beginning (though that, itself, is noteworthy as it is the first time in nearly ten years!).  My human family, too, remains the same size as it was a year ago, thankfully. 

I'm still here!
(Eddie, age 11)

Me too!
(Shiloh, age 16)

Yeah, yeah, us too.
(Allie, age 13 and Mitzi, age 13)

Though I lost a good friend, Bonnie, to cancer this year, and her passing saw her wolfhound Keaghan rehomed to a new forever family on the mainland (where he is enjoying life to the fullest and absolutely adored by his new older wolfhound fursister), I have been fortunate to also gain new friends, both canine and human.  They will never replace my old friend, but they do help bring joy back into my life.

Bonnie and Keaghan

Cosmo

Eddie teaching Lily to dance

And so as we slip from one year to the next, I can but hope that life will continue to bring us all – my family and yours – joy and celebration, yet the strength to handle sorrow; stability and restfulness, yet the courage to face change; new friends, yet the ability to say goodbye; beauty even amidst decay.  Watch for the magic moments and savour them - they make life worth the living. 

I had two such magic moments this week – both on Monday.  A friend’s cat who went missing over two months ago, was found under a house ten kilometers away, alive and well and ready to fly into his owner’s arms;  and a hummingbird, waiting for me to return with the newly-filled feeder, landed on my hand while I was carrying the feeder to the pole from which it hangs, riding along just inches from my face until its feast was hung.  Those are the moments I live for! 

I leave you with some photos from yesterday’s hike with my friends Margaret and Rajah, once again to Swallowfield. The day was cold and crisp and sunny, the walk pure joy.  It is a perfect way to end the year, amid beauty, with friends, dogs by my side. 

Swallowfield estuary

Rajah

Margaret takes a break with Rajah and Eddie

Chemainus River

My heart is full, my soul content.  May yours be too.