These are my dad’s feet, where I’ve nestled my head in between for a nice afternoon nap. This was a Wednesday, I believe, for some of my parents’ friends gathered at a place called Sunhenge, also our friend JJ’s front yard. So my mom and a few of her friends planted a circle of sunflowers to cover up the burn pit from JJ’s annual Guy Fawkes’ night bonfire occuring every November. I don’t usually attend that event because it’s at nighttime, and it stresses me out to lose track of my people. Anywho, Mom and her students planted all these sunflowers in little cups– I think she said there were 80 something- at school on Earth Day back in April. Then she and my Auntie Becky put them in the ground in mid June. We had to be careful because chippies like to eat sunnies if they aren’t big enough.

They thought it would be really cool if the sunflowers grew tall enough to be like a wall protecting the inner circle from the outside world. Well, they aren’t that tall yet, but we do love sitting within the Henge with friends, especially now that Mom’s friend Nancy donated her old outside garden rug for me to lay on. The first time my buddy Fynn and I were completely black from our nap time in the circle– super sooty soil. Say that five times fast.

Anyway, even though I’m having a great nap in this photo, I’m also a little sad because my brother and sister are away from home now having an amazing time in Switzerland ski racing. They aren’t home as much now as when they were little, but growing up is the natural process. It’s so quiet without them coming in and out with their friends or from their jobs with stories and needing food. Mom and Dad do their best to keep me happy, but even I’m not a spring chicken any more. Here is the thing: When I’m in the woods or the river, I can’t help but the get the zoomies still, buzzing around like a young pup. I can leap and hop over rocksBut I do not like walking along the road– too many speeding cars, everyone rushing to get where they need to go. So if I can’t walk in the woods, I would rather be napping somewhere cool like my front porch. This way, I can usually hear my mom when she is on the porch doing her calls or even if she mowing the lawn or dealing with some other project. I don’t really go to work with Dad in the summer as biking with him is challenging. Plus, pickleball and golf are also hot sports, and a dog like me really needs soft shade. Having Mom home in the summer is nice, as I like when she loads me up to do errands or head to woods for a hike and a swim.

But everyone is heading back to school sooner than we would like– how it happens every summer since I’ve been in these parts. Once she writes August on our kitchen chalkboard calendar, it might as well be over. Soccer kicks off next week, then school for Mom the following, and then back to the routine where everyone leaves the house by 7 AM. Sometimes when I feel like I deserve a little afternoon treat, I’ll knock the remote control off the end table with my nose, pick it up, and bring it to Mom, just reminding her of all that I’m capable of.

Enjoy these August days. The sunflowers are still growing; the blueberries (always a favorite) are ripening; and the river is calling my name.

Sincerely,

Emerson