Lassie in the Sky

Good Dog Lassie . . .

Bidden or not, she

comes to me.  I don't even
know my own peril.

When painting, I often take photos of my work in progress.  Viewing the piece as a photo allows me to see it in a way that first person observation does not permit.  Tonight, when cropping this picture to review, I was immediately drawn to the upper left corner, to the color patterns in the sky.  

There, in plain view, is my childhood dog, Lassie.  It's eerie because she appears in a painting of the the exact house I lived in as a child.  It's a farm house in southeastern South Dakota, Lake County. Lassie loved that farm and the duties required of a farm dog.  She loved herding cattle, following the tractor, fending off feral cats, chasing cars that dared to drive down our road, and all the other things farm dogs have to do.

Her life changed drastically when we moved from the farm to the city - well, to a brand tract house addition newly annexed to Sioux Falls - not quite a city.  It took her awhile to understand that her rural life was gone, that instead she'd be inside a house all day, waiting for her people to come home from school and work.  Some days she'd get to follow me or my sister or brother on our neighborhood explorations, some days she'd have to run hot laps in the back yard to expend her energy.

Lassie loved visits back to my grandparent's farm as much as us kids.  She'd leap out of the car, pay a respectful bark to my grandparents, then take off to check the outbuildings and any livestock that might be around.  At the end of our visit, she'd walk slowly, dutifully to our car, just like the rest of us. Leaving the farm never became any easier for any of us.

I'm not usually a seer or seeker of omens, good or bad. This unexpected appearance of my faithful and unconditional friend, however, comes at a time when I need it most.  I am choosing to see this as a fortunate sign. Good dog, Lassie, good girl.

"Lassie in the Sky" - © Lori Allen 2017