For Lack of a Better World

I want to take the opportunity to acknowledge Luna, our rat terrier mix, without whom I might never have done some of the traveling I did. I was reluctant to invite a new dog into the family for years. Dogs require a certain amount of care and dedication, which I wasn’t sure we would be able to provide. We were fortunate to land such a tremendous animal. Luna was great from the moment we got her. But I was adamant from the beginning that she would be given as exceptional a life as we were able to provide.

With that intention in mind, much of the traveling I did beginning in 2021 was to make sure she got to see as many things as possible. Most of the places we visited were dog friendly or willing to make minor accommodations for well-mannered companions. Yosemite Valley was among those locations.

Now, I can’t speak for Luna and I have no idea whether canines appreciate the scale and majesty of a place like Yosemite the way we do. But I like to think that if I was happy being there she was just as happy. And given that her disposition is very often in response to my own, I have to imagine that if I was as much at peace as I was then she was probably equally in a state of peace.

I can tell you that, Yosemite or otherwise, she is so very happy in nature. Any combination of sunshine, wind, grass, modest obstacles to navigate, trees to climb, posts to mark, scents to track, calm, shallow water, and the occasional encounter with another dog, a tolerant cat, or even wildlife all contribute to some of her happiest days. So it’s not unreasonable to think that our week in Yosemite was as much a delight to the senses for her as it was for me. That is something I count as a highlight of the trip.

What’s more, Luna is more often than not an extremely accommodating companion who doesn’t ask for too much and is content to go along for the ride no matter where it’s going. For me to have made such an event out of our time at Yosemite was almost certainly a little demanding for her what with so much hiking and posing for pictures and an unpredictable eating and sleeping schedule. But I made sure she was always comfortable and fed and able to rest when she needed it, be that laid out on a blanket during one of my lengthy camera sessions or carried on my shoulder partway during longer hikes.

Luna was the perfect companion for this trip. She was patient and well-behaved and cooperative with my photography. She didn’t complain about me watching sunset from Tunnel View every morning we were there or fret over how long the hikes would be. She ate what we had to eat and she slept when we had time to sleep. Had the time been spent with anyone other than her it would not have been the trip that it was. That might have been the biggest stroke of luck for me the entire week; Luna was here.