Summer has left our country again. The temperature is already dropping significantly. It can't be called cold during the day, but you can feel the difference because of the chilly wind that is already blowing around the house. The humidity also increases, and the umbrella is no longer an unnecessary luxury item. We hear again the familiar thuds in the grass in front of the house of the falling chestnuts. The leaves are slowly starting to change color and with strong gusts of wind, you can already see a lot of leaves blowing off the trees. It's dark earlier and you can feel it in everything. Autumn has started.
During my daily walks in the woods with the dogs, I see the forest changing around me. There is now a little more light coming through the foliage above my head. Many more mushrooms are growing on the ground, and while the foliage above my head is becoming less thick, the foliage on the ground under my feet is becoming thicker.
The dogs think this is a great time. It's not so warm for them anymore, and there's a lot to sniff around. For Skipper, this is a time when he especially enjoys running for short distances off-leash and he loves throwing the leaves up with his nose. And my two old girls Myla and Lana love to sniff under the fallen leaves with their noses to the ground. After all, you never know what you will encounter under the leaf. The mushrooms that suddenly appear in the grass are very interesting to sniff. The walks with Skipper are now becoming more active, and those with Myla and Lana are becoming calmer.
I wait patiently and smile, happy that I can still give them this pleasure. When, once again, I have to stop because my ladies want to sniff in one place for 10 minutes, I realize that autumn has really started for both ladies. Both my girls are really in the autumn of their lives. For the time being, we can say that they are still doing well, but we don't know for how long this will be. Myla is almost 15 years old and a really wise old lady. She has certainly given in a lot and her movements are becoming slower. Lana is still active when she has a ball, but we can say with certainty that it is her character, her perseverance, that keeps her going. The breast cancer she has is growing rapidly, unfortunately.
Knowing that both girls are in the autumn of their lives, I am experiencing this autumn even more intensely than in previous years. The nostalgic feelings that I experience every year during the transition from summer to autumn have an even greater hold on me this year. Where I normally only feel a kind of homesick for the summer, I now have that feeling ten times stronger. I'm homesick for the adventures I had with the dogs, and the many wonderful moments we had together. The many hours we went walking, the endless days full of love and friendship together in nature.
These long walks are no longer possible for my girls. We have to content ourselves with a short walk that also takes us longer and longer. How long can it last? When will it be over and can't be done anymore? It's so hard to determine that point. Especially if you still see a zest for life in both dogs. If you still see them hopping around the garden behind their balls.
We enjoy the moments we have now twice as much, we try to make memories where we can. And we hope that Autumn will not turn into a cold winter too suddenly.
Autumn not only brings change to the nature around us but also to our hearts. It is a season of letting go, of saying goodbye to the warm, carefree summer season. However, for my dogs and myself, this fall is more than that. It is a reminder of the transience of life, of the precious moments we cherish while we still have them.
Myla and Lana, with their gray faces and their sweet, faithful eyes, remind me that time does not stand still. They have been my companions for many years. We have lived through so much together. They were always by my side. And now I see them growing older. Each step is slower, but also more thoughtful. Their faces show me a look full of wisdom that only age can bring.
And this also brings with it a feeling of melancholy. It's hard not to think about the inevitable goodbye that is really coming. We don't know how long we can enjoy their presence. We do know that this will no longer be possible to express in years. We look at months rather than years. These thoughts run through my mind as I walk through the woods with them.
What I also realize all too well, especially now, is that now is the time to embrace the small, precious moments. The smell of wet leaves and damp earth under our feet. The sound of crunching leaves as Myla, Lana, and Skipper each enjoy in their own way and make memories. The warmth of their bodies against mine when we come back from our walks. Their happy faces on the silent changing paths. That makes me happy.
Autumn may be a time of letting go, but it is also a time of love, connection, and gratitude. Every day I get to spend with my dogs, no matter how short or long those days are, is a blessing. They ensure that I enjoy the moment, that I live in the here and now.
So as the autumn leaves fall around us and the seasons slowly change, I continue to cherish my dogs. We continue to walk through the forest. And we continue to smile at their joy, their curiosity, and their unconditional love.
This autumn will change in winter, but as long as possible the love of and for my dogs will keep my heart warm.
