Every Dog Has Her Day

"No fair," we kids occasionally insisted when the calendar showed that Mother's Day or Father's Day was next on the holiday roll. "Why isn't there a Children's Day?"

My mom always wisely responded with the answer they must give out to all moms in the obstetric ward in a top-secret parenting bible, because all moms give the same answer to this demand: "Because every day is Children's Day."

I'm still not so sure about that, but I do know that for canines living in prosperous, pet-loving nations, just about every day is indeed Dog's Day. And a camping vacation has got to be the gravy on the kibble. Our lovely Labrador Luna definitely enjoyed her time camping on Lopez Island and Orcas Island.

My daughter decided that if Luna could write and send postcards (she could at least do a fab job licking the stamps), they would all say, "Having a great time. Ate part of a dead fish. Licked ants off my backside. Wish you were here."

"Shhh. Be vewwy quiet. I'm hunting wabbits."

"Pause: We are now entering the Hall of Squirrels."

If Luna had Jedi powers, the intensity of her squirrel-fixing gaze would surely
airlift the rodents from their treetop abodes right into her jaws.

Luna's a pretty clean dog at home, so she got to indulge in being a dirty one on
vacation. Came home with a coat packed with sand and dust and stippled with
patches of Douglas-fir resin and marshmallow.

Good dog that she is, Luna takes care to read the Rules for Dogs before
entering the grounds at the Lopez Farmer's Market.

And there's always time for a good book.