Meeting Knox

We took a day-trip to Gatlinburg, TN, just to get a change of scenery and a bit of fresh air on a cold, bright day. Last night we got a couple of inches of powdery snow, and the drive down into Tennessee was lovely and pleasant.

We ate at our favorite Mexican restaurant on the water, reliving memories of other visits when all the kids and grandkids were gathered with us in the same room under the same colorful decor. The chips are homemade and the pico de gallo was the best it’s ever been.

After our meal, we strolled down the main street, ducking in a couple of the moonshine distilleries and stopping to listen to a local bluegrass band named Monroeville. then back up the street in the strong sunshine. My wife nudged me. “Look at that,” she whispered.

Off the sidewalk in front of a shop, a younger couple stood, and with them was a beautiful Golden Retriever. He was sleek and fluffy as Goldens can be, and he had the classic Golden Smile. We stopped to talk to them and to give a little love to the dog.

The couple was friendly and quite happy to talk with us. My wife talked with them about dogs while I stroked the dog’s face and neck. “His name is Knox,” said the woman.

While my wife and the couple chatted, I knelt and spoke softly to Knox. He looked right into the center of my face, then lifted a paw as if offering to shake. When I reached for his paw, Knox raised both forelegs and tried to give me a hug, but he was a bit off-balance and had to put his front paws back on the sidewalk. He managed to get his chin on my shoulder and one paw on the other shoulder. I hugged him tight and pulled back to look at him, and Knox was looking into my eyes, deeply, deeply.

When I stood up, his mistress said to me, “He tried to hug you!” We all chuckled and then we said our goodbyes, and when we turned to walk away, Knox’s mistress said, “Knox sensed your pain. That’s why he hugged you.”

Yes, I think she was right.

And now, my wife is reading in her comfy chair next to me, and Dixee is curled in her bed between us, and the flames are leaping in the wood stove, and I am content. This was a good day.

This was a good day.

~ S.K. Orr