Mountain Boy Banjo

I joined the royal parents and Miz Beverly on a trip to the mountains for Labor Day weekend.  Boy, how I love that place. We stay in an ancient, rustic cabin, and I can smell the outdoors even when I’m inside.  And, then there’s the outside, with rockers on the porch, perfectly positioned so that everyone can rub my belly.  We go down the hill to the lake every day, and I find plenty of new smells all along the way. 

People come and go at the cabin, and I get lots of attention.  Dad walked me a few days and then he and Mum left me with Miz Beverly while they went to visit more friends. We stayed at the lake a few more days and then I got to ride in Miz Beverly’s van back to Atlanta. Yes, I’m quite the adventurer. 

Now for the Good, the Bad, and the Fantastic.  First up, let’s get the Bad out of the way. I was walking with Miz Beverly, and it was just too much−the sparkling cool water of the lake and that mischievous goose who took to the air right in front of my nose!  I lost it. I took off after it with Miz Beverly hanging on for dear life. As I chased that goose deeper into the water, Miz B sat on her haunches trying to anchor herself on the shore. That tactic didn’t work all that well. I pulled her along like a  skier behind a boat right into the lake. (See, there’s a reason I’m sometimes referred to as a lugger, which is a small boat.) 

She finally came to a halt when the water reached her knees. I didn't get that goose, but I did get some applause from a small group of spectators who had gathered to watch the show. Fortunately for me, Miz Beverly wasn't mad. In fact, since her shoes were already wet and muddy, she waded right back in and held just the tip of the long leash, so I could swim back and forth parallel to the shore. It felt like heaven. You just can’t beat the camp experience with Miz B.

Now for the Good. I was good as gold after that. I slept quietly upstairs in the loft beside Miz Beverly's bed and walked without pulling. She took me to visit another cabin, and I behaved perfectly, in keeping with my royal breeding, of course. I was so quiet on the ride back home that she climbed into the very back to make sure I was still there.  Since then, I’ve been just about perfect in every way, and I’m pretty sure I’ve redeemed myself.

Finally, wait ‘til you hear the Fantastic.  I have been prancing on my walks in downtown Decatur, and I must look good ‘cause I regularly hear "what a beautiful dog,"  but the supreme compliment came from Camp Counselor SarahAnne. When I greeted her at the door one day, her eyes widened, and she exclaimed "Banjo, you look so good, and you’re so thin!" That did it. No longer any need to search for edible t-shirts for me (unless they are the new low-calorie ones). I weighed in today, and I’ve lost another two pounds!  I'm getting used to this new me, and I'm thinking about a modeling career. I’m aiming for the centerfold of Canine Playboy magazine or, heck; maybe I can be a personal trainer. I can see it now—Bodacious Bodies by Banjo.