A blog post by Josiah, the tree-loving Yorkie puppy
Every morning, I can’t wait to visit my favorite tree. It sits in a corner of the field by the fence and the big rocks. It spreads its branches far out over the ground, so it’s a cozy corner where I can play. It’s my favorite place.
Miss Janet says it’s an elm tree. It’s safe for dogs to play under. It doesn’t have any acorns—I’m not allowed to eat those. It’s right where the yard goes downhill into the meadow. The ground has a gentle slope that’s easy to walk on. It helps me build my back leg muscles, which I need to work on so I can learn to climb down stairs.
The tree is tucked away from the driveway, so I’m safe there. Miss Janet says it’s the safest place outdoors for me. She lets me explore on my harness and leash without hovering—she stands off to the side while I explore. I think she likes that too.
The ground is mushy, and that’s perfect for me. It’s covered with patches of moss that feel good on my paws. I can smell every creature that has crawled over the moss. Did you know moss holds onto a lot of smells? Smelling the moss is how I get my daily news—who has been by, what they were doing, what’s the weather like, and what’s happening in the soil today.
I especially want to know about the soil because I love to dig. Digging is fun! I smell voles underneath. Miss Janet lets me dig for a while—I love kicking up dirt! When I’m finished, she pushes the dirt back over where I dug. Sigh. I have to start all over again every morning.
It’s fall, so lots of fun, colorful, crunchy leaves have fallen. I like slurping the water that’s sitting on the leaves in the morning. It’s my favorite way to get my first morning beverage. The elm tree still has a lot of green leaves, so it’s nice and shady. I wonder when those leaves will fall, and what it will look like then.
The ground is always changing, so I never get bored. I like tracking insects that crawl beneath the leaves and through the tufts of grass. I stay busy smelling where the voles are running underground. All that sniffing is really good for my brain and my physical well-being.
Sometimes I smell a different kind of rodent. I look up, and a goofy rodent-squirrel is running along the fence. How can they be so bold as to run right in front of me, with my rodent-sniffing Yorkie nose! I always bark and chase as far as my leash will let me.
There’s another reason I love my tree. It shelters me from flying creatures. One day, Miss Janet and I were walking down the hill in the open meadow. I was on my harness and leash. I stopped to tug at some grass. Suddenly, I sensed something moving overhead. I looked up, and a hawk was circling, looking right at me.
When Miss Janet saw me look up, she looked up too. She quickly pulled me next to her feet. She shouted at the hawk to leave us alone, but he kept circling. So she picked me up and carried me inside.
Ever since that day, she tries to keep me under the trees as much as possible. My elm tree really helps with that. I feel a lot safer, and I know Miss Janet likes that better. She is always concerned for my safety.
Because my tree is at the top of the hill, I can see the whole meadow. When I finish all my sniffing, I like to sit and look around. I can see deer and wild turkeys running at the bottom of the hill. I bark to say hi. I hope they have a good day.
My tree is perfect in every way: shelter, safety, entertainment, voles. Always something to sniff, track, dig at, and chase. The ground changes every day, so it’s always amazing to explore. I love my tree, and I can’t wait to visit it again tomorrow.
Sniffs and slurps,
Josiah
The Inquisitive Yorkie 