Oh, Tonka.

Izak put it so perfectly: He was a great Elvrum and one hell of a good dog.

I didn’t know that I’d be so sad about Tonka being put down today, but I sit here with tears in my eyes and my face moist from the ones that have already trickled down my cheeks.

Tonka was such a good dog.

When Sydney was a puppy she’d turbo all around him and he would spread out on the ground and bat her around, letting his body and puffy coat be a soft landing for all her energy.

Oh, Tonka, we’ll miss you.

He was always ready to greet us with a tail wag and a slow hop when we’d arrive at Camp Janet, no matter what hour it was.

I liked to think of Tonka as the grandpa of the Camp Janet dog crew, accompanying Sparky and Tag on their excursions to make sure that all goes well.

That Tonka, what an exceptional member of our family.

I went to Anacortes and spent some time doing nothing last week.

Now I’m back at HBHQ and spent today doing something and my ankles are larger to prove it.

Doing nothing involves going on meandering strolls, baking lemon bars, visiting friends, meeting your mother-in-law and mom for lunch, not answering your phone, seeing your sister-in-law, getting a massage, checking your e-mail, not taking pictures, practicing swaddling and shushing, going swimming, napping, reading Rolling Stone, watching hats get made, feeling sorry for dogs and their drama, taking bets, listening to wise grandmothers, and finally looking out the window contemplating doing something.

Since I spent most of my day doing something today, I think I’m ready to go back to doing nothing.

It sure was nice.

Thanks, Mom & Dad for letting me come do nothing.

** photo credit to Cora Glass

At my parent’s house there is a basket of toys for kids to play with. Of all the goodies that Sydney could possibly get her paws on, she always finds the plastic baby doll and drags it across the room.

When she’s reached her destination – most often next to the warm fire – she proceeds to lick and gnaw on the poor plastic baby.

When Syd has had sufficient amount of time licking and gnawing, she cuddles up next to the naked baby and…..

sleeps. We’re hoping that Sydney doesn’t treat HBaby in such a way.

After spending a week at Frat Camp Janet Sydney is finally back at HBHQ; however, all she wants to do is recover from her wild vacation with the Elvrum North Dog Pack. Last night as we were going to bed Barry pointed out how much energy she must exert up at Camp Janet because when she comes back to us she melts into a Puddle of Pug. As my dad put it, we need to put her on the DL to allow for proper recovery. It appears that Sydney put herself on the DL list, so no need to worry. 

When Sparky is around Sydney becomes a very different dog. Gone are the five hour naps, the lap-neediness, and the interest in the every move made by either myself or Barry.

Instead she fixates on Sparky trying to entice a game out of him by hitting him with her left paw or body slamming him with her tubby rolls. He ignores her for the most part, but every so often he’ll rally enough interest to sprint around the yard letting her chase. If Sydney is really lucky, Sparky will chase her and all her badgering will have paid off.

When Sparky left Sydney started whining and barking at his getaway car that was headed back to Camp Janet. It was really sad, but now she’s back to her five hour naps, lap-neediness, and interest in our every move.

Poor little pup.

Found at Camp Janet:

Found in San Francisco:

I’m hanging out at Camp Janet for the next few days and as I tour around my mom’s gardens I am so amazed at what my eyes see. It seems like there are no weeds and that everything truly has a life of its own. Back at HBHQ our garden is a hodge podge of both weeds and some flowers, I’m not sure if things are closer to life or death. Growing up my parents always had beautiful gardens and I now realize that I took for granted all the hard work that they put in to create such beauty. Now that I have gardens of my own I find that I have not inherited their green thumbs. Coming to Camp Janet makes me realize this, but I also know that I can tap into my mom’s knowledge as a source to help my gardens become a better version than what they are right now. 

On a side note, Sydney has now fully acclimated to being a part of the dog pack that runs wild here. She’s got her collar off and is accepted into the crew without a second thought. It is so hilarious to see them all run around together because one is not like the other.  From Tonka’s lumbering walk to Sparky’s Terrier Tendencies, and Taggert’s playfulness, Sydney’s happy-go-lucky attitude is a perfect contribution to the Camp Janet Dog Pound. Plus, she likes the all you can eat buffet on the back porch.