Kneeling down to hoist up my loaded-up backpack from the club chair ottoman is usually the second to last thing I do before leaving for work in the mornings (the last thing being give the dogs a jerky treat before the bike and I head out the door).

This morning, as I bent over to get the pack I was confronted with this substantial slice of sweetness from our Ranger:

dogball(click for the bigger picture)

What makes it all the more awwwwwwwwww-some is that the only thing keeping her seemingly gravity-defying ball from dropping to the floor is that it’s perfectly tucked in like a pillow between her oh-so-sleepy head and the blanket.

I managed to quietly extract my cam from my backpack and capture this preciousness without disturbing the scene. Then I whispered her name and she looked up me with those sleepy eyes and the ball fell with a thud to the hardwood. She didn’t even blink and went back to her nap, but I interrupted it further, helpless to prevent myself from smothering her with hugs and kisses.