The Soul of a Dog

With Valentine’s Day safely under our collars, now is the time to start dreaming about spring ~from what I hear around the B&B. I overheard it being said (more than once) that January had 408 days this year. While I am not sure that could be true as math is not my strong suit, there did seem to be more blankets hanging on couches in the house, less deliveries of breakfast to the cottages, more naps taken, the fireplace seemed to burn more and some extra cleaning happened. Don’t get me wrong~ these are all things I love. I can laze around the house like a sloth and be quite content. And I am intelligent enough not to rock the boat and am quite loyal to the cause.

Albeit the days are getting longer, there is still plenty of darkness, which appears less welcome in this house. I hear the mutterings of contempt for winter months. The coffee pot remains programmed for 5:45 am, and the morning ritual of the shuffle of slippers for that medicinal elixir hasn’t changed, but it seems that the usual hustle and bustle of the house has been reduced slightly. There seems to be longer pauses standing in front of the windows looking out into the gloom and dead grass. Pyjamas seem to be in style longer~ some days till noon…less bras are worn~and the stack of books have been read and returned to the library. Kitchen drawers have been emptied and cleaned, the pantry appears to be organized, and dust bunnies have been vacuumed out of corners. But yet, we wait.

What many of you might not know is I am a Canadian adoptee. I highly recommend this. While I was definitely an oops to begin with, and by all means, not a great start, being chosen out of the litter as a one year old has been pretty golden ever since. I have had quite a few years to get used to my cushy life for which I am grateful. I must say, the heat of Texas does not hold a candle to the winter of Alberta, and the trip south to Texas was nothing short of epic. 2500 miles of open road through the most beautiful states starting in Montana down through the corner of New Mexico into Texas. I love me a good field trip, and while this was three days in length, the end goal has been oh so worth it. I watched the temperature of the truck rise with pure joy, and from that point on I knew my life would forever be changed. No snow shovel was packed, and by all accounts that was a good thing.

What spring brings is this: my birthday. And that is worthy of a celebration if I do say so myself. I am turning eight mom says! My life started in a bit of a shambles– I was born on indigenous land in central Alberta, Canada, and spent the first year living on a porch. I cannot reiterate enough~ it’s cold in Alberta in the winter. I gave birth to five puppies that looked a lot like me ~ and I had just turned one years old. One day a truck pulls up and me and the pups are taken to a house where there was warmth. Two weeks later the most charming blonde, blue eyed beauty came to visit. She bent down and took my chin, and looked deep into my eyes and the rest they say, is history.

Mom says I am my own character here at the B&B, and while I am unsure of what that actually means, it does seem complimentary. I get a lot of traction just on my cuteness. There are days she says I am useless as a guard dog and could I quit smelling her crotch, but there are always treats and cuddles, two square meals a day, squirrels to chase and sun to tan in. I have copious beds, some mine some I am not to be on but alas, I find them quite to my liking. I have tested a lot of her food– in and out of the garbage can~ and I can tell you~ that girl can cook. More recently the red head Handyman seems to be a staple now at the B&B. He knew just how to get Mom– he fed me bacon daily…. It worked. I like him. A lot. So it seems he too will be staying on. All is well with my soul.

From humble beginnings to a Texas B&B, it’s been a life well lived so far. Here is to another year, more guests to meet, more food to eat, more naps and adventures to take.

Love, Gibson

Colleen McCullough is the owner of The Virginia May Bed and Breakfast @ Eagle Mountain Lake You can follow the BnB on Instagram and Facebook @thevirginiamay