BRUNO The greatest thing about nature has to be the creatures that She and God have produced. One of the best creatures that God ever allowed Mother Nature to have has to be the canine. Hence, this is a story about a dog named Bruno, who has four loving master's (friends) of his own. He was born on May 6, 1996, and now this is his home. Bruno is a brindle and white Boxer and will soon turn four years old. He weighs about eighty-five pounds and has two unusually large front paws; he uses them exceptionally well, as if they were hands. Unlike most Boxer's, Bruno's ears were not cut as a youngster, so they flop around everywhere; I think they look better this way anyhow. Bruno, however, did get short- changed on his tail, which is nothing more than a stub. When he sits down the folds of his skin cover it. When he tries to wiggle his stub he ends up shaking his entire back- side. He has beautiful markings; his chest, all four paws, and the under side of his neck are all white. He also has a patch of white on his neck directly behind his head. Its seems to be in the middle of a sea of brown and black and has the shape of an arrow- head. There is also one little stripe of white that covers part of his snout and crawls its way up his face, between his eyes. Bruno's brindle is wonderful also. Nature gave him the perfect mixture of burnt orange with brown and black stripes; this gives him the appearance of a tiger. Bruno Brown, with out a doubt, hold the title for the most spoiled dog in family history. This eighty- five pound baby thinks he is a lap dog. He also thinks he is a housedog, and for good reason, he literally spends about sixty percent of his time in the house. Bruno eats in the kitchen, sleeps wherever he wants, and gets my Pops to hold his chew toys while he gnaws on them. I often aggravate my parents about being "Bruno whipped". This dog understands the English language better than most children and listens about as well as most teens. He speaks and even brushes his teeth, that is, if you want to count eating toothpaste as brushing his teeth. Bruno has the nose of a Blood- Hound and the heart of a Lion. He is loving, happy, and extremely over protective. Bruno is more than our pet. He is our friend, the fifth family member behind my parents, my brother, and myself. The great thing about Bruno is that his love is unconditional. He will never get tired of my company, never gets mad or upset with me, listens to me even if he cannot understand one word, will never leave me like my wife did, and comforts my pain with his truly wonderful heart. What more could a person ask for in a friend? Bruno is not only my friend, but is also my connection with the rest of nature. Bruno, as well as all pets in general, whether exotic ones like snakes and lizards or normal ones like dogs and cats, is a direct link between humans and nature. This is a perfect example of how unity can describe nature. I cannot speak for other people, but I am a happier person when Bruno is around, when I am with nature. Animals are a part of nature, as I believe humans are. I do not see man versus nature, but rather man and nature as one. Nature, as I see it, is not the civilized versus the wild, but instead is just nature divided up into different sections. Sections such as weather, the earth and its landscape, the oceans, animals, and humans all combine to create Mother Nature. All of these sections of nature work as a unit a unit to make this world go round, not as separate entities. Bruno provides this link to nature that I often do not have when I am with people or even by myself. When I go outside to get annihilated by Bruno, all of my problems disappear from my mind. It is like Bruno is nature's tool for relieving my stress. I cannot think of my problems because when I am with Bruno he soaks up all of my attention as if he were a sponge. This is a great feeling, to be totally engrossed in playing with, petting, or just relaxing with nature's stress reliever, Bruno. Until now I did not realize how important nature can e to a persons health. Whether playing with their pet, chasing tornadoes, photographing nature, or writing about it, nature truly is a time- out from this "I will not slow down for anybody world". Often when it is raining outside or when I have a little free time I will go sit outback on our porch swing with Bruno and just drift away into my own little world. There is nothing in this dream world that I can pay attention to except the sound of the rain hitting the tin roof, the wind rattling the wind chimes, and maybe Bruno's heavy breathing. The only things I can feel are the pounding of Bruno's happy heart against my chest and the cool breeze that softly blows across my face; all of which consume my every thought. At these moments everything around me seems so pure and untouched. The trees sway happily in the wind as birds and squirrels fill their branches, the grass seems grow greener and taller before my very eyes, and the sun just shines as it looks down upon this earth with its warm smile. If it is raining the rain droplets seem to fall softly to the ground like feathers; everything seems to be untouched by progress and pollution when I take these little trips with Bruno. There is no stress from work or school; there is just the relief of being with an agent of nature and having a clear mind to think, dream, and ponder. When people want to get away from the pressures and daily stresses of life they turn to nature. Whether they are outside playing with their pet, taking trips into jungles, taking vacations to Alaska, writing about creeks, or taking photographs of animals in their natural surroundings, people use nature to relieve their stress and to have fun. Bruno, for me, is not only my friend, but also my link to purity, to nature. Bruno unites me with nature and does so with great ease and pleasure. He is a great dog, irreplaceable friend, and I love him.