I’ve Become A Dog Person

Since I returned to the Far North Coast of New South Wales after traveling Australia last year, I’ve been pretty much a fully-fledged gypsy, if I wasn’t already. While I wait to move back into my Patchs Beach House October next year, I am house and pet sitting regularly. It started out when I was trying to spend more time in Melbourne to be close to my two adult children. Wanting to have a place to stay for a while within proximity of them and able to catch up like we lived close for a while. My son had suggested that I stay for longer than my usual - blowing in and out of Melbourne, rushed and over excited. And both my kids have done more than their fair share of driving north. This distance thing is hard. I was fortunate to be asked by Spencer’s girl’s Mum to sit two lovely dogs in a gorgeous home at Eltham while she went on a sketching trip in France. I’d be half an hour from Spence and Dan.

I absolutely loved my time there with Ernie, a Groodle and Ike a black lab. They had me out walking every day for five weeks along the banks of the Yarra River. Rain, hail, or shining which for the most part it was. A myriad of paths to choose from and surprisingly regional feel right there in the city. Devouring memoir podcasts while I walked. Dodging bike riders and trying to dissuade the kids from eating kangaroo poo. I can’t remember the last time I stayed still in one place for five weeks. Seeing my kids, and keeping two dogs and three chooks happy was all I made plans for. And of course I had my trusty memoir happening, online group coaching and writing sessions, chook eggs to collect, baking to do, sailing youtubes to catch up on in the evenings with the boys in front of the fire. Ahh, the ground hog day I needed to have. Can’t wait to repeat that experience in May and June next year.

Since then, I have sat seven chickens and a vegie garden, Pearl, Millie, then Pearl again. Kelpie siblings Bundy and Pluto, and three cows. Pearl yet again, and Keeva is booked in next week. During this time of self-reflection I feel the universe has sprinkled fairy dust on me by gifting me the company of dogs. What beautiful companions they are. I’m aware of the trust I am building in showing them who I am. I can be an absolute loop, talking nonsense and dancing around and they don’t judge me. They crack me up and they melt my heart. One day when I go home to Patchs I will get me a dog of my own. The list of possible names is already very long.