Slip Slidin’ My Way Into Being More Like Stella

I spent a good deal of time in the last week lining up a consultant, an onsite project manager, workers, tools, supplies + even plans to deliver lunch for “Project Slip Slidin’ Away” aka trying to buoy up a part of my hillside before El Nino arrives and I lose even more than I have lost of it since the fire.

I was so proud of myself.

Then God laughed!

I woke up to a cacophany of texts declaring the project dead in the water as the workers (lined up by my most amazing gardener) didn’t feel safe working on the hillside. Of course I wouldn’t want anyone feeling unsafe but with neither me nor the consultant onsite we couldn’t manage it.

We’ll figure it out. It’s just a wee bit humbling.

And it was insanely stressful for a couple hours — until I finally let it go. I still am not getting this lesson of attachment - to stuff, my house, my physical memories, my best laid plans, my preferred timeline, my land, my hard work’s expected results. I wonder if I will ever get it!

But I did let it go enough that I could allow Stella to turn the day around. We went to the land and she surveyed. I surveyed with a scowl. She surveyed with bliss in her heart.

I thought “Be. Like. Stella.”

Then we launched into a series of errands - all of which ended up being unexpectedly light-hearted and fun — until it was time for her to have a playdate with her BFF Hudson. You cannot remain heavy-hearted when this is going on.

Stella + Hudson = Bliss

Then she patiently hung out while my foot was worked on, although she was remarkably un-protective when I screamed in pain. LOL! In other words, she knew it was healing me not really hurting me.

Be. Like. Stella.

But the most amazing stop was at the end of this very long day when i had a mani-pedi. She has gone with me to this place many times. It’s a sole owner in a small space. Toward the end of the appointment, the manicurist’s daughter was dropped off by her dad. Stella - who has been here many times with me — alone with the manicurist — barked when the little girl arrived. I explained this wasn’t our house but she didn’t hear me, so I had to wrangle her. She wrangled quickly but the damage was done.

This little girl is delightfully precocious and creative — always creating something. I have seen her there before but we never really “met” as she’s autistic and rarely engages.

She froze when Stella barked. She stood perfectly still until I got Stella away from her. Then she sat — almost robotically — in a chair and sat frozen, not moving a muscle. I apologized profusely but her mom encouraged me to not make a big deal of it, and let her work out the emotions.

Stella then immediately wanted to apologize and gently went up to her as if to say “So sorry I barked!” and slowly worked on her… moving close, then away, then close, then away…then touching her gently with her nose.

Then — all of a sudden — the girl stood up in one smooth but rapid movement: Up!

She put her right hand out - fingers and thumbs pressed tightly together perfectly straight. It looked almost like a choreographed dance move.

Stella immediately sat in front of her — as if that hand gesture had been a “command” all her life!

The little girl then moved around the space guiding Stella here and there. When Stella completed a move, she sat perfectly straight-backed at attention, staring into the girl’s eyes as if to say “What next you wondrous choreographer, you?”

This continued for quite a while. Both her mom and I were biting our lips, trying to pretend we weren’t watching because it was so dramatic and amazing and magical. I was squealing with delight inside but didn’t make a sound!

Then, as abruptly as the whole thing had started it stopped when the little girl started talking for the first time since walking in the door - with excitement about what had just occurred.

We let her express it all and then when it was safe I told her that what we had just witnessed was her clear gift with dogs. Mind you, if Stella stood up on her hind legs she would be taller than this little girl. But once she tuned into Stella she knew she was in no danger.

I told her I have never seen Stella so mesmerized by a human. Ever. It’s true. To incur this level of attention the human must have a treat in hand!

When we left both the little girl and the mom were at the doorway shouting enthusiastic “good-byes” and I was shouting back enthusiastic “thank you’s.” I have met this little girl on many occasions and she has literally never engaged with me like this.

I was proud to be Stella’s sidekick, and so grateful to her for turning an icky start to a day into magic.

This was the sunset on the way back home:

This was Stella on the beach the night before — I should have known the next day would be magic.