Sedona Monsoon

So for everyone who’s been wondering what I’ve been up to lately – you were dying to know, weren’t you – here’s the scoop. It’s Monsoon now, so it’s been raining a lot.

Well, not a lot, really. It just gets dark and feels all heavy a lot of the time, like it’s going to rain all day, and then it doesn’t at all. Or it might rain a little bit. But at least it cools me off some when it does, and my coat gets all silky in the moist air and Mum and Dad make a big fuss over how soft I am.

What I really don’t like this time of year is the thunder. It makes me scared. I just have to get under something when it starts rumbling. Sometimes I feel it coming from a long way off, and if Dad is in the house I go wherever he is and get as close as possible. Having his big hand on me is best.

I don’t mind it as much if I’m outside in the open, on the trail or chasing rabbits through the bushes. It’s just indoors I get all sort of small and weird and shaky feeling, like a puppy that doesn’t know what’s happening and doesn’t feel safe. Then it passes and I’m alright again. Especially if someone brings me a treat. Then I might forget about the thunder right away.

We went to see my friend Jazz the other day. He and his Mum Mary moved away and I hadn’t seen him in a long time. We started playing right away. He’s a little Schnauzer, my favorite size dog. He doesn’t chase me much, but he got up on his hind legs and batted me right on the side of the head. Then we ran out to the backyard so Jazz could show me where he hangs out when it’s cool. He’s a good boy, that Jazz.


My mum took me to Marg’s Draw the other day, a fun trail where we go sometimes for what she calls “a change of pace.” I run the same pace there I do around the home trails, but whatever. There are usually people to see and sometimes other dogs there. I got a bit bored this time though, so when Mum called me to come back for my leash I decided to run off on my own a bit and explore. I could hear her calling me. I think she wasn’t too happy that I didn’t come, but come on, I had stuff to do. I can’t be tied to Mum or Dad all the time.

When I did come back I was all wet and Mum couldn’t figure out for the life of her where I got soaked because it was all dry along the trail. I’ll never tell, but boy did I have fun!

After that we did one of my favorite things these days. We went to where my Dad works. Really he just talks to other humans. He and Mum call it “the gallery,” but really it’s a place where things smell interesting and lots of people come to see me. They make a big fuss of me. I can lie down right in front of the door, which is glass, so I can see all the people and they can see me, and when they do, of course, they want to come in and pet me and ask my name and what kind of dog I am. Dad gets all proud talking to them about me, and if Mum is there she just smiles. I love my life.

After people leave and there’s nothing much to do, sometimes Dad and Mum do that funny thing with their hands and start creeping toward me like they might pounce on me. I look at them out of both corners of my eyes and then, just before they can touch me, I dash off to the other side of the room at full tilt and then back again, all around and in between the big blocks that sit on the floor. We’re all racing, racing, and Mum and Dad are whooping and screaming and clapping their hands while they run after me.

Then suddenly I can’t see either of them. I don’t know where they’ve gone. After a minute I walk quietly over to where I last saw them and – they’re not there! I look somewhere else. Not there either. Now I’m stumped. They’re humans, so of course they’re not that good at sneaking and hiding. I’m the dog, so I should be able to easily – hey, there they are! They jump out from behind the counter and chase me all over until I’m pooped and need a drink of water.

One day I did a thing that Dad still tells people about. He says I made a sale. I wasn’t on a boat, so I don’t know what he’s talking about, but what happened was I was sitting by the front door in the gallery and three little girls outside spotted me and went, “oooohhh, a dog! She’s so pretty,” and I got to my paws and started wiggling my butt and wagging my tail and they just couldn’t stand it. They begged their people to let them come in so they could see me.

Of course I got down on my back so they could rub my belly and pretty soon all three of them were down on the floor with me. It was all nice rubbings and they were making sweet noises and it couldn’t have been better.

While all this was going on there was a man talking to my Dad. He said it was so beautiful, the girls and me all loving each other. Of course it was. He got a bit teary like I do when there’s a fire and it’s smoky. He turned to this woman next to him and asked her to do something. Then my Dad put a big picture thing in a bag and handed it to them, and they all stood there watching the rubbing and listening to the cooing. Those girls were the best.

Pretty soon their people made them leave and the man and the woman with the bag left. My Dad gave me such good pettings and puppy talk and told me what a good girl I was. He said I sold a Dr. Seuss. I had to have him spell it when I got to this part because I’d never heard of that before but I guess I did something good. I don’t mind helping out my Dad when its fun like that. As long as I get extra treats.