Like most people, I love animals. They remind me of my childhood and my relationship with many animals, big and small, as happens when you live in the country.

Unfortunately, and with much regret, I now remember that, in my childhood, my love for animals, especially small ones, was often murderous.

This love of animals was not always in favor of animals. The way I behaved remains a great regret of my childhood.

With maturity came the responsibility and the time to give true love to animals by taking on their ownership and care.

I liked the dogs best!

The first was a Collie, whose name was, of course, Lassie.

She was my first and best dog, and she raised my son. You can see them both in one of the few photos I still have from the past. I took it forty years ago. As I hope you can observe, Lassie could pose.

The following two were Labradors, and the fourth and last was a pit bull, Pitt. It was a present for my son when he became a teenager.

After Pitt's death, I didn't want to own dogs, mainly because of the pain of losing them. After burying six dogs, the four of them and two more puppies, a Collie and a Labrador, I felt I couldn't do that anymore...

The longing and love for dogs I soothed with the help of friends.

My best friend once had 32 dogs, and she moved from the city to a nearby village to have a house and garden big enough to accommodate them all.

Whenever I visit, I take pictures.

Bojo - her favorite dog.

Some of the dogs were waiting for my friend to come back home.

Piti - a sort of miniature Collie.

I have never had cats, but my brother has one.

My brother lives 500 km away from me, so I visit him only a few times a year. He lives in the country and raises several animals, but Uti, the cat, is the most photogenic.

Because I remembered my brother who lives in the country...

In the country, as we know, it's the best food—vegetables from the garden and home-baked bread.

_{This is my entry for the #monomad challenge.}

_{I rely mostly on photos in all my blogs. Words don't help me as much as photos.}

_{I always start with photos when I want to write a blog. Photos remind me of places, events, and feelings that turn into words. When I post in Photography Lovers the words have even less importance, they are a companion to the photos I want to show. This often makes the story uninteresting or common, yet it is necessary; otherwise, the photos would merely be a series of unexciting images.}

_{I make this statement as a plea to those reading not to over-judge the text and to focus on the photos. The story puts everything in context and provides the explanations and clarifications necessary for the blog to convey something of interest to the reader.}

_{Since we all love photography, let’s explore the captivating details captured in these photos!}

_{A wise saying goes that a photograph is worth a thousand words, but I don't think so.}

_{It depends on the viewer.}