Life in the Bristolwood

The other day when Mark pulled into the parking lot at the hospital for his physical therapy,  before I went into the building,  I hopped out and took a photo of what seemed an out of place rose bush….

It was, of course, the bright remaining orange rose hips that caught my attention.  Located in front of dumpsters, somehow, the little bush just didn’t seem “right” planted there. 

My photo isn’t anything outstanding.  I even forgot I had taken it!

Then, last night as I was looking through images yet to be uploaded and stored on the hard drive, the photo I had resized of the rose bush caught my eye.  I sat there looking at it,  and almost immediately, memories and tears overcame me all at once…

Many years ago,  I had the most amazing pair of dogs…a highstrung, crazy Irish Setter and a very reserved and proper Scottie.  The setter was a female called Shelby and Kiltie was my Scottie boy.  The unlikely pair were great friends and one of my fondest memories is of the two of them in the basement, chewing balls of snow off each other that had gotten built up on their “feathers”.

One summer,  I showed Shelby the brightly-colored orbs on the rose bush.  I fed one to her, thinking the vitmain C contained inside would be good for her.  Well, Shelby decided she liked rose hips, and she frequently went to the bush thereafter, to partake (at her pleasure!).   One afternoon, I went outside and Shelby was showing her little brother, Kiltie, the fine art of gleaning rose hips! After that, the bush was always picked clean,  Shelby taking care of the high regions of the bush, while little Kiltie would reap the lower section!

How I miss those two. They were such a pair….almost like two little kids, playing and just having fun!

Amazing how a photo can draw one in and conjure up such emotions that one thought so long ago lost….