Happy 13th Birthday

Do you remember what you did on your 13th birthday? I think that was the year I finally talked my parents into taking me horseback riding. We drove to a stable in a tourist community in upstate New York and my sister and two brothers bounced on a hour long ride in the woods behind their farm.  I was sucking a tootsie pop the whole time.

For our birthday, my Mom let us eat whatever we wanted for dinner. I always picked sweet & sour pork with German Chocolate cake for desert.

Today is my dog’s 13th birthday. So she got to eat her favorite meal: cooked chicken with tuna juice. Then we took her to her favorite doggy beach. What more could a 13 year old want than a few sips from the river, chewing on a good stick and chance to nudge between her mommy’s legs.

A child of 13 has her whole life ahead of her. For a dog, every day past 12 is a blessing. I am blessed to have spent one more lovely day with my girl Juneau.