I wouldn’t say that I’m a particularly downbeat person, but I do find myself sometimes greeting the day with a touch of trepidation. Worrying needlessly that I won’t be able to get through my long list of whatever. Our Labrador Lila, however, awakens each morning with a sense of adventure. Bursting with anticipation of all the amazing things the day might bring! I think to myself: THAT is the way to live.

Although our house is made of mud brick, it features more than the usual amount of floor-to-ceiling glass. This means that when Lila’s wandering around the property, she can see in and I can see out. Even when I’m sitting at the computer and she’s outside surveying her kingdom, we can keep tabs on each other. Sometimes, however, she forgets I’m watching… [read more below]

This week’s video clip features Lila caught unawares from my study. I spotted her in the garden “harvesting” the flower heads from a 10-foot-high Banksia shrub. She was so intent upon the task at hand that she failed to see me standing at the window with a camera. I didn’t know Labradors could climb like that, but a few awkward moments notwithstanding Lila managed to scale new heights.

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