Pat Bean's blog

Aging My Way

Since I decided to blog more about books, and do it five days a week, I quickly realized I couldn’t just mention titles I was currently reading. Even I don’t read that much.

 The solution, which requires me to go back into my past, has been quite enjoyable, like the memory that popped into my head of my favorite childhood author: Albert Payson Terhune (1872-1942). Among a dazzling array of other books, he wrote over 30 dog-related titles – most of which I’ve probably read. His books were the first ones I looked for during my weekly library visits when I was growing up.

With a bit of current research, I learned that some of Terhune’s books are available for 99 cents on Kindle, and I downloaded Lad, A Dog and Chips, two that I do recall reading. Terhune’s books may have started my lifelong adoration of dogs, a love that became even greater when I became the sole occupant of my abode almost 50 years ago.

There have been four dogs in my life since then, each a cherished companion. The latest is Scamp, a Siberian Husky-Shih Tzu mix who became my soul mate seven years ago. Albert said: “Any man with money to make the purchase can become a dog owner. But no man — spend he ever so much coin and food and tact in the effort – may become a dog’s master without the consent of the dog.”

However, when it comes to Scamp, it’s debatable about which of us is the master. 

Meanwhile, on perusing the two books I downloaded, I discovered that dogs back in the author’s days, and mine, weren’t the pampered pets they are today. Their masters weren’t always kindly and they mostly didn’t live indoor lives and sleep on beds. Of course, all dogs today still don’t have as coddled a life as Scamp

What’s a childhood book you remember?

Pat Bean is a retired award-winning journalist who lives in Tucson with her canine companion Scamp. She is an avid reader whose mind is always asking questions (many of which are unanswerable), an enthusiastic birder, staff writer for Story Circle Network’s Journal, author of Travels with Maggie available on Amazon (Free on Kindle Unlimited), and is always searching for life’s silver lining.