Free to be or not to be

Thursday was the last day of corporate work for me for the year and the day before I was free of the burdens of obligation. Scout notwithstanding, Friday was calendared as the first day my time did not belong to someone else; no one owned me. Apparently the freedom was a bit more than my unconscious could bear. Meet Aju. Eh-you.



The owners of the B&B left the island for a week. At the last minute, their dog care fell through and they were searching for someone to take her. In a moment of who knows what, I offered to pitch in if they came up short. I would be happy to take care of her except she could not stay with me at the cabin -- because as you can see she carries an extra layer of downy winter fur. For someone with allergies, Aju is a pulmonary cherry bomb. They decided she would stay in the insulated, though unheated garage adjacent to their home and each day I would take her along on walks with Scout, feed and water her and when I left during the day, I would make sure she was free to wander about.

She is a sweet dog who, like many dogs, loves the person who puts food in her bowl and takes her on adventures with her new pal Scout. Every time we meet she bestows on me that OMG, you are the light of my life look and nuzzles me and whinnies til I pat her on the head. This island is 17 miles tip to toe and she is allowed to go anywhere and how does she make use of this opportunity, this free to be wherever I please...



It took exactly 37 hours for me to let her come in. She slept on the kitchen floor, under my chair and snored for 2 hours while the decreasingly neurotic Scout traveled to dreamland via the couch coach. I booted her out when Scout and I left for our errands and island wandering. While we were out I picked up a box of Claritin because in some instances, resistance is futile.

P.S. The Queen of Nanaimo come into port today and my 8 year old Viking child watched with glee. I don't think I will ever tire of the ferries.