When you know for sure your time together is limited, you take every opportunity to be present, to slow down and notice, to really see and to connect, and when one of you is a dog, to play. I raked leaves this morning, and one pile was “D-constructed” four times by Dexter and his favorite toy, a stuffed Cattle Dog named Little D, or Mini D.

Just to be clear, this was a two dog job, (three, if you count Little D).