Home for Life

Last weekend I rode in a benefit motorcycle ride for Home for Life, an animal sanctuary near New Richmond, Wisconsin. A fancy breakfast was donated, with croissants, a big fruit platter and coffee, of course. It's important to get the tummy and the gas tank fueled up before a ride. The sky was a robin's egg blue, the sun gentle and the road dry. When we arrived at the animal sanctuary, a couple of the dogs were taking a dip in the kiddie pools set up by the volunteers. They seemed unperturbed by forty motorcycles rumbling up to the parking lot.
As I waited for the port-a-potty, a tawny rat terrier walked up to the fencing and sniffed my leg. Of course I wanted to scoop him up and bring him home. The animals at Home for Life, though, have conditions which prevent them from being adoptable. I knelt and let him sniff my palm. He gave it a good lick and wandered away, acting a bit aloof, just like my own rat terrier. I straightened and watched him settle down in the sun. A happy pup, enjoying the sunny day just as much as the motorcycle riders.