I am starstruck, simply gobsmacked! Caryn told me this would happen, but I didn’t quite believe her. I hoped she would write a few words on my behalf, and put them on her computer, but I didn’t really believe anyone would hear me. She said, “you’ve got to have faith, Tashi!” And you know what? Someone saw me out there, and responded. Here’s what I learned: 1. There are at least two dogs out there who know how to read and write. And 2. They are looking for dog blogs. I guess that makes sense, since dogs can’t visit their friends right now either.

That’s pretty cool, isn’t it? One dog even asked me some questions. I guess you could call it my first interview:

Presley: Hi Tashi, I am Presley, I live with a few humans: Shirly, Ben and Milo, and I share their love with Elvis. He is a little slow but a nice dog.

Tashi: Hi Presley, it’s soo nice of you to write to me! It sounds like you have lots of people who love you. Plus you have another dog. I really miss hanging out with my dog buddies. I’d give my eye-tooth for another dog in the family…..but maybe that’s not such a good idea – teeth are important for biting into biscuits.

Presley: I wanted to ask if you are also afraid of thunderstorms and fireworks. I get really scared. In the photo it’s me really scared.

Tashi: Wow. Presley, you look downright sad in that picture. I hope you’re feeling better today. You’re not alone. I’m a big, wild dog, so you’d think I wouldn’t be bothered by thunder or a couple of firecrackers. But the truth is, I don’t like big noises. Or car alarms. I don’t understand them, so they scare me. I’ve heard that many dogs feel this way, so we are not alone.

Presley; When I’m scared like this I go and sit with Shirly. She seems to get it and she talks to me and calms me down.

Tashi: We had a huge thunderstorm a while back, and those firecrackers last week really freaked me out! Caryn stayed by my side. She said that nothing goes on forever, that everything changes, and it would soon be quiet again. But I didn’t believe it would ever end. To help me feel better, she let me sleep on the bed. Which is saying a lot, since I take up a lot of room.

My little buddy Dahlia (she’s not a dog; she’s a cat, a very different sort of animal) leaned into me and that felt good. I got to sleep on the bed straight through til morning. And Caryn was right, the storm did pass. But sleeping with the rest of the family did too. Darn it. I guess everything does change.

Presley: That’s  all I have. Now it’s time for the morning walk which I really don’t like at all. 

Tashi: I must say, I’m a little shocked that you don’t like to go for walks. Are you sure you’re a dog, Presley? Maybe you’re a cat, like Dahlia, who never goes for walks, unless it’s in the back yard. I think she was made for pandemics, because she could care less about leaving home.

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Now, the second message really threw me for a loop (whatever that means). Get this: there’s another dog named Tashi, who lives in Sausilito. She saw my blog, and she wrote to me too.

She sent a picture with her tag showing me her name:

And get this: I think she’s flirting with me! Look at that photo she sent…she is pretty cute, I must say. I am very attracted to poodles, you know. In fact, I may be falling in love….is it narcissistic to fall in love with a dog with the same name? Caryn told me it’s important to love myself and to love all other beings too – which I do, because I’m a therapy dog. Believe me, I’d be out there doing my job, if this darn virus wasn’t stopping me – in fact, I’d be in the next train to Sausilito!)

Turns out she is very talkative. Here’s what she wrote:

Dear Tashi of Bellingham,

Nice to hear what another curly Tashi dog is up to these days…. Sounds like you are famous! It is so cool that we have the same name! We have a lot in common, besides our name and curls… I too miss my old routine and my friends. When not on the computer, all my mom does these days is plant in all the good places where I want to dig. But we still take nice long walks in the hills… now trying to avoid humans without masks. Glad to know you are using your time well to comfort others (two- and four-legged) even when not working. 

Here are a few silly images that my mom found. You can pick whichever one you like best. We tried to find photos that showed my name tag and my true Tashi-ness… or should I say our shared Tashihood.
You can see from the first photo that I have my eye on a new blueberry bush that my mom planted for me. It’s strange though, because as soon as the berries ripened, my parents moved the bush so I can’t reach it anymore. I can’t figure them out, sometimes…
We too are hoping to meet you in person someday… perhaps when we venture north on our way to Alaska. But who knows, right?
Well… all we can do now is to keep wagging, so….
Keep wagging and keep blogging! XOOX
From Tashi of Sausilito
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Dear Tashi of Sausilito,
How thoughtful that your mom planted a whole blueberry bush for you. I have to share Caryn’s. I’m going to have to talk to her about that.
How unfortunate that your mom moved your blueberry bush. You might want to talk to her about that.
I also like strawberries. I’m glad that they grow close to the ground. There is no way Caryn could move all the strawberries in our garden. Fortunately there are more than I can eat, so there are enough for everyone, including for my backyard pal Trudy.
You mentioned avoiding people who aren’t wearing masks…..it looks like masks have become an essential wardrobe element, like collars on dogs. Some people don’t wear them; Caryn wishes them well (in her head), and moves to the other side of the trail!
Well, that’s all for today. I hope all you two- and four-legged creatures stay well. More next time,
xox, Tashi of Bellingham