Dogs and Zombies

I love Dogs.
When I came back from Africa Max was so happy to see me. He bounded around the yard, his long cocker spaniel ears flapping, ecstatic. He's getting on in his years, is old max, and is almost eleven now, which is quite old for cocker's, but he showed a huge amount of physical enthusiasm, including sleeping outside my door instead of in his bead, for a week. One thing I have to say is that he is a very very faithful friend, and unchanging in his attitude towards me. His eyesight is fading, and sometimes I wake him up as I come in from town. Typically he won't recognize me, and bark, but when he hears my voice he will look very very embarrassed, his eyes and ears will drop, and he'll slink back to his bed in shame. It is a great fallacy for a Dog to turn on his friend/boss.
I watched a movie called I am legend the other night.
I was really expecting to be bored by a typical, if well done, zombie movie, but had been recommended the film by a few friends, so watched. I found it, unlike some people I've talked to, quite deeply moving. Now I won't give away any plot details (as I am notorious for doing), but the story began very simply about a man alone as the only human in Manhattan, and New York for that matter, who hadn't been infected by a terrible virus. Alone that is except for his faithful dog. The two spend their time together, and he, of course, is trying to crack the virus in a lab under his house. It is basically about a man who gives up his family, his friends, all his life to find s cure, and his absolute humanness- he almost gives up many times, but in the end stays true to his cause. There is a surprising number of acknowledgments of God or as Will Smith (the main character) says 'The God', about how God could ever let a thing like that terrible virus exist which virtually wiped out the human race. He ends up saying, rather powerfully I think, 'God didn't do this, We did this.'
Anyway, the relationship between Will Smith and his Dog is the most moving aspect of the movie for me. She is a German Shepard, and obviously a very intelligent dog. I spent quite a bit of time with German Shepard's in Tanzania, some puppies and some guard dogs, and they are now my favorite dog. After max of course.

My 21st Birthday was awesome to all those who came, thanks!