sleeping and swimming

One of our favorite things to do together is cuddle. When I go to bed at night, I call her and she jumps in bed with me. She lies on her side and I snuggle up around her. Her back presses up warmly on my belly. Her head fits perfectly under my chin. I wrap my arms around her and we both sigh. My aura feels recharged and loved by her warm body pressed up to mine. I feel like we are mother and child or two best friends. Our relationship is almost better than these comparisons, in the sense that we only have to communicate with our eyes and body. Later, when I fall asleep Rosa goes and finds her own spot to sleep. When the morning comes and Rosa hears me wake up, she will jump back in bed with me. These periods of time, falling to sleep and waking, are one of my favorite parts of our relationship. This connection between us is unspoken and natural. I never trained Rosa to act in this manner. She needs intimacy just as much as I do. This is one of the most tendar parts of our relationship.

Rosa and I most closely bonded together in nature when we are swimming. Rosa and I are very skilled swimmers. She, however, is much better outfitted for the task. Her webbed paws glide her through the water, not like other dogs that splash all over the place. Rosašs round, plump body puts her whole torso on the water like a duck. Her coat is waterproof so the water slides off. I have none of these wonderful physical qualities. Instead, I have fifteen years of competitive swimming experience. In the water, Rosa and I can swim hand and paw. We both have no fears and our endurance is endless. The water is like our second home. We move like fish with ease and grace. There are few places that allow for both human and dog swimming. Luckily, one of these places is the spillway at Barton Springs. Here, in the summer, we both cool off and for a short time and enjoy something we can do together. I like to swim against the current in a slow, gliding breaststroke. Rosa paddles around and steals other dogs balls. We both receive a therapeutic cleansing from this cold fresh water.

Our other favorite place to swim together is Lake Travis. Here, we can swim long distances together. We swim along the limestone shore for almost 2 miles. On the lake, we take our time paddling along. I feel such peace in the water when my arms are churning and I hear the sound of the bubbles from my breathing. In the lake there are no cement pool walls to stop me. Rosa seems to be one of the few people who can understand this bliss. She is at peace in the water like me. When I look up from my swimming, I can just see miles and miles of water and Rosa by my side. We don't have a destiny. We are just swimming. Feeling the our bodies move through the water, we are united by this same passion for the water.