Tribute to a guardian

I got the phone call from dad some time ago "They have a lab at the shelter in Missoula I think I'd like a lab, all the others were good dogs", I would agree, and encourage him to go look at him.
Two weeks and countless walks later go by "I dono, such a great dog, you know he passed the hearing dog test?"
"Holy shit dad, you need to get him, perfect dog, you cant ask for more," He would after arguing and telling the pound to go to hell he would leave his dog outside if he wanted, "they wont tell me my dog has to stay inside" typical older generation.
Then a couple weeks go by "hey you know this dog brings me my slippers, keys, and rattles them when he has to go to the bathroom"
I pondered this, it ment he was letting him stay inside "So he's inside then?"
Dad got gruff "no more, he is outside IM not letting him wake me up so early in the morning
So it would be, Zack would stay in his outside hotel unless it was real cold, then he could come inside and rattle the keys.
He would be Dads constant companion, for every trip to the store "gotta get the dog" that dog would get to ride in the backseat, like the absolute best child, he would merely look out the window, never whining, never running around, he would just sit there.
He would end up getting my wrath when he would lead my Hound Bobbit into the woods, or run off out in the neighborhood when I would visit, gone all day our minds freaking out thinking the worst.
Only later in time would I see my old hound, literally nodding her head encouraging him to run off with her, would the truth be known, my wrath had been placed upon the wrong dog.
He would be dads constant companion, enjoying riding even on the back of the four wheeler with dad, never ever letting Pops get out of his sight.
When dad grew to Ill to care for him, I took him into my home where he had a nice bed next to Mine and would sleep in a climate controlled heaven.
He would be an outstanding duck hunter, jumping off the bank like the best dock dog, and after dad fell Ill, we entered him in a Doc dog competition, knowing he would jump with the best of him, and there, in front of a hundred people I would plead with him to jump in the water to no avail.
He had a staring problem, he would just lay there and stare, I remember when I was with dad in the hospital for some time my brother in law would watch him "would you do something with this dog, he just lays there and stares at me" Im like "well ya, thats what he does, itch his ear and rub his tummy with your foot and he will be in heaven. Didnt work, he still freaked Jeff out.
Before dad passed his joints began to come apart, and I would plead for him not to go before Dad as he needed him to make it through his ordeal.
That plead ended up going for another four years until today, he would keep coming back regardless of what the life expectancy was for a lab he would say "screw you IM going a few more years, I gotta be there for craig"
And this morning when I would open the curtains there he would be, looking at me thru the window in the yard, Im not sure how he could hear the drapes, cause he seemed to be deaf as a post, but he always heard my foot steps too.
I know now he is in heaven, running about with those before him, getting his ears loved by dad, wagging tails thinking of the next adventure with Bobbit.
Travel your road well my friend, may there always be a pickup box for you to ride in, and a stream for you to swim in.
Love ya old man, thank you for every day you gave us.

Life of a dog

As my Fathers old dog lay outside in his dog house, heat lamp resting on his old bones and stiffening muscles, his favorite toy on his paws, with a dish of milk laying next to him I thought how short their life is with us on this world, a mere dozen years or there about, what would I do if I was dog? From birth they come out and the first thing they do is start to sniff around, they tumble and look for some warmth, their moms gentle nudge, and her warm body to lay against. As their eyes open they begin to explore, sniffing around with their fellow pups, wrestling, building up muscle, trying to be the first to that warm milk in their mothers tit. They grow a bit more, now they can run, tackle each other, play and nibble on moms ears with sharp teeth, making her yip and nip back at them, as they run off, growling and talking to their fellow pups. Soon mom has enough and shows them how to eat on their own and they do, growling and wrestling for their place at the dish, they begin to sniff around more, taking in the aroma of the earth that only a dogs nose can find. Soon they find a master, they get their ears scratched, belly, and chase a toy, soon they think the slipper is a toy, get whipped, run, and have fun with it howling with laughter to the next dog that passes by who says in reply "yea, I did that too" Soon they hang out with their master, going for their first ride, with wide eyed wonder they put their head out the window and wow does the entire world come to them, in every mile are tens of thousands of different smells, at first they look about, but soon their eyes are closed just taking it all in, loving the easy way to explore. They get to nap in the yard, basking in the sun, their "master" will bring them food, and carry a scooper to clean up after the them, sometimes, they get a treat, all for messing up the yard and just being there. Eventually they return the favor, sitting nobly on their sick masters feat as he is sick, keeping them warm as only they can do, watching carefully over them. Later their time comes near, they spend more time hanging out in the house, lounging here or there, now making shorter trips, the yard itself being an adventure, the alley a distant memory trip away. Then their time comes and the joy they brought to a family is left and tears of sorrow fall. How can someone not envy such a life? They bring everything to the table with that big heart of theirs, always happy, only asking for a meal, water and a place to lay. And the best part about it, in their short time here they make the most of it and they do it the way most humans do not, with a happy heart.

The world is overpopulated, yea not so much

We hear it all the time, there are studies that claim it is true, there are simply to many people on the earth and it simply cannot sustain it. I heard this long ago when I was in highschool, that someday soon we would run out of food, then I took a job washing dishes at a truck stop, my mind was blown at the amount of food we tossed out and I started looking a little more into this claim. First off the United States of America is the worlds largest consumer of well, everything, yet we only have three hundred and fifty million of the seven Billion of the worlds population. We waste 40 percent of the worlds food, our leading health problems are from eating to much, our food waste along could easily feed all the starving people, comfortably. Why are they starving? first reason are horrible governments, places like the Philippines fruit abounds yet it is Illegal for locals to pick the fruit, now this is not the only problem, much of it simply is not enough industry to provide jobs for people packed in condensed areas, a near Chas system is in place where the wealthy live off the labor of the poor which make only a little over a dollar a day, not enough to live off and many children suffer from malnutrition and are listless vs their American counterparts who lack exercise and overeat and are hyper or lethargic depending on their diet. Will we run out of farm land? Nah, not in my lifetime or the next at least, we learned greatly from the mistakes of the Dust bowl, dont get me wrong,the US needs to get its act together, developing farmland has to be one of the most ignorant ridiculous things any country can do, that could cause a problem but I suspect if push comes to shove, those houses will get tilled under. Next how about resources? well again there is simply not a chance of this happening, minerals are simply not going anywhere after they are mined, recycling is always a possibility and something we need to do in groves right now. There are also companies who are researching how to mine Asteroids, the amount of minerals on a single large asteroid could sustain the earth for decades. Oil we will eventually run out of, however just under half of our oil is in the form of plastics, we already have the technology to get oil from those plastics which pollute the majority of our landfills. After that is gone? you turn our waste into Methenal, the non plant base of Ethenal, algae that produces oil will also be a viable source. We are gonna be ok after all.