Jake, My Blue-eyed Son

It was 1997, probably late June. We were building the house on bare land in the Colestin and living in a teepee by the creek during construction. Our friend Michael Kyelberg (affectionately known to one and all as “the Spaceman”) was coming down from Wallowa to do some fine carpentry for us. He called before he arrived to say he had found this dog at a yard sale and thought we might want him. I was dubious, to say the least. I remember saying to him, “I don’t know Michael. We already have a dog, we’re living in a teepee, it may not be the right time to add another animal to the mix.” But “no” was not part of the Spaceman’s vocabulary and he showed up a couple of days later with Jake.

Jake. What an extraordinary dog. He arrived completely trained. He could sit, stay, lay down, roll over. Whoever had him before us invested a lot of time and energy into him, they must have been heartbroken to give him up. Any energy invested in that dog was returned infinitely multiplied. He was smart as a whip, probably had a vocabulary of at least 20 words. He was a good, obedient dog, but he knew his own mind. He loved people and wanted to be with people, but he knew he was not a person, he knew he was a dog. Does that make sense? He didn’t want to sit on the furniture or sleep in the bed or eat from the table, he never invaded anyone’s personal space. He was happiest and most comfortable when he was about 3 feet away from the person in charge, usually Sequoia but often me. Walking, sitting, laying around the meadow, there was Jake, always about 3-4 feet away. He paid attention but never demanded attention. He would greet you when you arrived, sniff your hand, accept a caress and then go about his business. He never jumped up, never barked, never made any fuss. My cousin Deb nailed it when she said that Jake was a gentleman.

Jake was a bodhisatva, a true teacher, and his subject was grace. He showed me what it looks like to be completely comfortable in your own skin. I suspect he skipped reincarnation entirely and went straight to Nirvana.