A Recent Vacation

On a recent vacation I got the opportunity to spend a good bit of time around two incredible dogs. Kayla and Georgia share a comfortable, hill-perched home in Golden, Colorado with Michelle and Will Ward, friends of our two Atlanta sons. Their home overlooks a broad expanse of trees, rocks and mountains near the Coors Brewery. As I walked into the Ward’s home for the first time and laid eyes on those dogs’ broad skulls, I was primally wary of them. These gals are powerful. Especially Kayla, the pure American Staffordshire Terrier (left in the picture, which I just stole from Will’s Facebook page). She is massive. Georgia, the pitbull terrier is a smaller, decidedly more feminine version of Kayla.

There was something really great about reclining in a comfortable leather sofa watching NBA basketball with a warm, completely lovable one-dog canine wrecking crew. Their energy was present in the room and it felt good brushed up against the volume of two thirtysomething men yelling obscenities both at and for their chosen team. I don’t remember who was playing or who they were pulling for, but I believe it was NBA finals time.

Georgia curled her strong back against the outside of my thigh and we had a moment. I left Colorado feeling silly about my initial fear of them. They are beautiful animals and just about the sweetest dogs I have ever met.