Life with Dogs: Part 10-Tula

Tula came to me as a scared, skinny runaway from Chico, CA, age unknown.

She’d recently given birth, had a dry, raggedy coat and kept her tail permanently tucked between her legs.

She refused to jump into a car, but broke three (empty) bowls by jumping onto the kitchen counter in search of food to filch.

She’d had a hard life to that point.

I took her to Holly Park on her first day in Bernal Heights so she could get  a view of her new neighborhood.

Tula never met another dog she didn’t like, or at least tolerate. I saw her growl only a few times, and she had to be taught how to bark again.

Though she always kept an eye on me, She liked and tolerated children of all ages too.

Tula got around.

As my black and white shadow, she traveled from California to points all over the East Coast.

On the Pacific Coast at The Sea Ranch,

At the Brooklyn Bridge with Illustrator Paul O Zelinsky.

And on top of Vermont’s Mt Abraham with Sabin Russell.

 Tula’s favorite spot was belly deep in some body of water.

but she was happy in all weather as long as I was there too.

After any encounter with moisture, she would joyfully roll in grass or sand or the dusty driveway.

Tula was the sweetest dog I’ve ever had and she will be profoundly missed.

Life with Dogs: Part 9 Lucy

Children and puppies both start out small.

Children grow fairly slowly, year by year, and only reach their full size in a couple of decades.

Lucy at 12 weeks

Puppies start out small too, but grow SO much faster.

Here is Rowan at almost 7 years and Lucy at 12 weeks. 

Puppies are pretty much full grown in a year. This transformation provided the inspiration for my book When Lucy Goes Out Walking.

Starting in January, the pup in the book grows month by month.

By March she is leggy and adolescent looking.

By July, she’s a mostly grown companion on a grassy hill.

and by rainy November she can carry groceries and trot along through puddles.

The weather turns cold again and this time Lucy leaves “big dog prints” in first December snows.

A year passes and here is Rowan at almost 8 years and Lucy at 12 months.

What a difference a year made for one small pup!

Pumpkins

Pumpkin was an affectionate nickname in my family, so I chose it as the name for my 1st Border Collie.

I love the word Pumpkin-how it fills my mouth and suggests the shape of the fruit.

Yes, a pumpkin is a fruit- actually a berry. It is a member of the Cucurbitaceae family, along with melons and cucumbers. The rule of thumb to tell fruit from vegetables is that: if it has seeds, it is a fruit, no seeds, it’s a vegetable.

As with every experience, Pumpkin stands in for me and is able to do things I can never do. 

  

Lately, I have found a new, black, love object named Baby Bear. He is enjoying every bit of autumn in Vermont, especially the pumpkins!

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