“Walking the dog,Just a walkin’ the dog.If you don’t know how to do it,I’ll show you how to walk the dog.”
— Rufus Thomas
I spent the long weekend with my book promoter hat on.
It involved a twelve-hour commute from Cleveland to Chatham, Massachusetts on Cape Cod to visit my friend Allen and our favorite bookstore, Yellow Umbrella Books.
I made the trip with three of my adult dogs (Crook, Minster, and Winston) and two French Bulldog puppies from the June litter.
It was a long drive.
Winston, the English Bulldog, likes the center console of the car. He rests his head on my shoulder, encouraging my focus. He keeps his eyes on the road and on me. Minster lays on my left leg close to the window as he has learned that a stop at Starbucks results in a ‘pup cup’ coming through the window. Wise, lead-dog Crook sleeps the trip away in the back seat. The two, four-month-old puppies traveled in a crate in the Wayback.
There was no rushing. I called on my ‘Steady-Eddie’ attribute. I drifted from phone calls to singing with the radio and talking to the dogs. All the time appreciating the fall colors.
My original service dog, Buddha Bear, for whom my children’s books are written, used to throw his head back and breathe deeply when we crossed the Sagamore Bridge onto the Cape. He loved running on the beach, crunching shells, and walking through the tidal pools. He taught his buddy, rescued-dog Big Boy, to appreciate all things Cape.
While returning without these two big dogs and their love of the beach is difficult, I made this journey because of those great dogs.
I retold the story of rescuing Big Boy with Budha Bear’s help in the first children’s book ‘Lost, Found & Forever.’ Big Boy told his own story in the second book — with beautiful illustrations by Cape artist Traci Harmon-Hay — entitled ‘Your Forever Dog.’ In June the third book in the series tells the story of loving, letting each dog cross the ‘Rainbow Bridge’ with grace, keeping my heart soft, and allowing some other dogs to find me.
It was with these new furry family members that I returned to the shores of the Atlantic to sign books and retell the story of earning a dog’s trust, forming a larger family, living and loving, and ultimately honoring the life of each dog. Winston, the hefty English Bulldog, came to support the book signing process and the two French Bulldog puppies greeted every person on the street.
Allen, who helped wrangle the dogs, and I met many animal lovers — parents and children, couples and teens — who shared stories of the dogs they have, those they have loved and lost, and their aspirations for future furry friends.
It was a sunny, fall day and everyone was out and about, — strollers and dogs on leads. Stories were shared, tears were shared, and I felt the connection of our common ground.
This morning, we were all moving slowly as we gave all our energy to the greeting and meeting. A beach walk is on the schedule, and cuddle time and interviewing a potential forever family for one of the Frenchie puppies will be part of the day.
In the end, it was and wasn’t about me or the books. The dogs were the life of the party yesterday and the centerpiece of people’s interest. I hope to always travel in a pack that includes dogs as I learn so much from them every day.
- They like a good sleep, especially sharing it with someone they love.
- Hugs make the moment sweeter.
- Walking and making new friends (four-footed and two-footed) is an objective of the day.
- Being positive, inclusive, and loyal is the way to be.
- They are in the moment all the time.
- And being with their human is their favorite place to be.
May I be as good a person as my dogs already think I am. And may I find the animal-loving folks every where I travel.
How did you spend the long, fall-holiday weekend?
“Either you intrinsically understand
the attraction of searching for hidden treasure
amongst rows of dusty shelves or you don’t;
it’s a passion, bordering on a spiritual illness,
which cannot be explained to the unaffected.”
— Kathleen Tessaro
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