a few bales of straw

Winter's icy tendrils have begun to curl through the valley. The nights are usually well below freezing, the days can still be sunny, although interspersed with brisk, gusty winds that seem to spin the very thoughts within your mind. Snow or sleet has been forecast, the sky becomes heavy, but as yet the ground remains clear.The dogs have plastic igloos to sleep in, padded on the outside by bales of hay, as extra insulation. But we have had no clean fresh straw to create a warm insulated nest for them inside. Their homes looked so bare and barren.Today that changed! Ani Miranda kindly organised Eric, someone she knows in Sedona, to haul out 20 bales of fresh straw. Karen, Raven and I spent some hours in the morning wheeling the old straw (now heavy beyond measure!), and dispersing it on an unused field littered with tumbleweed. We then set up palletes and unloaded the clean, cream coloured straw. What a delight!This afternoon Raven went door-to-door, kennel-to-kennel, refurbishing their homes. And afterwards we witnessed the most touching and joyful moment I have felt in some days - almost all the dogs were snuggled inside the homes, sometimes their head just barely visible through the mountain of straw. The atmosphere was one of peaceful contentment, each one happily in his or her nest. Safe, warm, at rest.Nine bales of straw, that is all it took to make these dogs' day. How simple it can be to change a life and bring such joy!