Howdy, Campers, and Happy Poetry Friday! (My poem and the link to PF is below.)
For a short and sunny summer read, we TeachingAuthors are posting the view from my / of my work space. So far, Bobbi's shared summer windows and her animal editors , Mary Ann shared two rooms with a view...and coffee, Esther offered us picture book author Zakieh Mohammed's Wednesday Writing Workout, and then she shared a photo of the "one wonderous addition" from her summer windows.
If I turned around from my desk, I'd see Eli chewing on whatever toy he's chosen from his toy drawer...
...but usually I'm poeming, politicking and bouncing on the BOSU ball I stole from my husband years ago:
working at my desk, August 2013.
Photo by Jone MacCulloch
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This is Our Summer of Dogs. My son and his fiancee are overseas, so Eli's two "nieces," Penny (the smart, shy, territorial butterscotch and white 8-year-old) and Gin (the bouncy, licky black 9-month-old puppy whose sibling's name was Tonic), are staying with us. For six weeks.Photo by Jone MacCulloch
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Three dogs has been an adjustment.
That's the understatement of the year. I know it's not the same as moving to another state, changing my name, or becoming an electrician. Still, it feels as if I'm working on a master's degree in walking three dogs and picking up more than one poop at a time.
THREE DOG WALK
poem (c) 2019 April Halprin Wayland. All rights reserved.
Have a wonderful last whiff of summer or beginning of a new school year, Campers!
posted by April Halprin Wayland, with the help of Eli, Penny and Gin, with love
by April Halprin Wayland
One dog is just one.
Him and me.
Hear me hum.
Two dogs are just fine.
Two dogs.
In two straight lines.
Three dogs? My gosh—unstoppable!
Friends say they will strengthen me. (I say they are all adoptable!)
poem (c) 2019 April Halprin Wayland. All rights reserved.
Have a wonderful last whiff of summer or beginning of a new school year, Campers!
And thank you, Amy, for hosting Poetry Friday at The Poem Farm!
This week, Amy's hosting a celebration of
the life of Lee Bennett Hopkins; she invites everyone who wishes to share a poem inspired
by or including a line from a LBH poem. Tag with #DearOneLBH.
Stay tuned! TeachingAuthors will continue the appreciation
of Lee's poetry on September 20th.
of Lee's poetry on September 20th.
Oh my gosh! I have two dogs- a creaky, cranky 13-year-old lab, and a 5-month-old lab that is supposedly going to be a service dog, when he calms down and grows up a little. Two is a handful and I can't even imagine three!! I hope the six weeks goes by quickly! Your last line made me laugh!
ReplyDeleteCarol, I remember when Eli, who is a doberman / German Shepherd / Greyhound, was a puppy... I thought he'd never calm down--oy! Then someone told me that big dogs calm down when they hit two years. I didn't believe it. But sure enough, at the age of two, Eli walked through the Calm Door, and has been the best (living) dog ever since. Hang in there!
DeleteApril, your writing room is a busy place this summer. I like the prompt you and the others chose for the end-of-summer writing. I can see that 3 dogs would add a hectic pace to your life. Two humorous lines of yours made me smile: "I say they are all adoptable!" and "Have a wonderful last whiff of summer..."
ReplyDeleteCarol ~ I'm slightly embarrassed to say it, but thank goodness for RhymeZone, which sometimes leads me to the best ideas... hence, "adoptable"
DeleteI can't imagine walking three dogs. I used to have to walk two when I was a teenager and that was bad enough. I love your work space!
ReplyDeleteRuth, see Amy's comment below, in particular: "it's like in basketball when you switch over from one-to-one to zone defense."
DeleteThree, unstoppable! I imagine the fun and the chaos, too, especially with a young one. It is fun to see those pictures, April!
ReplyDeleteYes--fun and chaos, both.There are a lot of dog poems coming in the next few weeks, Linda! 🐾🐾🐾
DeleteBecoming an electrician! I am cracking UP over here, April. Lucky dogs to have such a loving dog-lover at the helm. I am reminded of when I was pregnant with Henry, our third child. Someone said, "When you go from two to three children, it's like in basketball when you switch over from one-to-one to zone defense." Thank you for this view of your inspiring office. I love the letters, the toy drawer...and I need one of those BOSU balls methinks! xx
ReplyDeleteI'm going to use that basketball line, Amy!!! Thanks again for hosting 💖
DeleteOh, my goodness! Three dogs! You are a busy lady! I don't have a standing desk, but my counter top is just the right size, now I need to get one of the Bosu balls! Thank you for your joy-filled post today! There's something about dogs that always makes me smile. xo
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ReplyDeleteI have trouble walking even one dog! Of course I am not used to doing it because as much as I love them, my allergies preclude us owning any furry creature.
ReplyDeleteOne of my nieces had a dog walking business. She would take five or six of them on long treks through mountain paths. Kudos to you and her!
Wow--a three dog summer. You get mom-of-the year award! Thanks for making me laugh with your adoptable doggies. And hey, I have a standing desk and a bosu ball, and never thought of putting them together. Going to give it a try!
ReplyDeleteHA! You are tooo funny, my dear April. Love the sneak peeks into your writing room! And of course I love that Eli has a toy "drawer" in there, and that the others have found the cache. For a few years we had four dogs at one time, and, actually, animal-crazed human that I am, I will NOT do that again. (Anything over 2 is a real pack, and ours had conflicts!) But your current configuration looks to be getting along fine - even if they are wearing you out! Hugs to you, pats to the pups... XO
ReplyDeleteI love the peek in to your writing space-those letters are fabulous! I can't imagine walking three dongs. Our one is old and slow these days. She spends most of her time sleeping, so we are far removed from those energetic puppy years. Good luck wrangling all those lovable--if adoptable-- dogs for the remaining weeks.
ReplyDeleteCheriee ~ Someone asked me if I was a dogwalker the other day--I shuddered! I used to think theirs was an easy job (there are some who walk more than ten around here)...but man-oh-man! I have new respect for those calm, disciplined, hardworking walkers!
ReplyDeleteBuffy ~ I think you'll LOVE the bosu. Especially when something is downloading. I bounce while I wait and feel about five years old :-)
Robyn ~ FOUR dogs? You deserve a medal!
Kay ~ thank you...and here's a secret: me thinks we may be in for more than six weeks of grandparenting these pups...our son will be graduating med school soon, then moving to wherever his residency takes him...in between, there's no permanent home. So, I'm resigned to a year...and if it's less, great!
What a sweet post, April! When we got our second dog four years ago, the increase in poop to be scooped seemed exponential. Enjoy all the nose boops and walks.
ReplyDeleteLaura ~ exponential is EXACTLY right! Things are a bit calmer now (including me), and I'm enjoying the puppy's antics and lots of nose licks.
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