Lord Banjo's winter retreat

In January, Mum loaded up the Royal Red Carriage, otherwise known as her SUV, and we headed North. I couldn’t wait to romp in the frigid air

Luckily for us, my Aunt has a cottage in Black Mountain, NC and generously lets us use it. Mum and I consider it a perfect writer’s retreat and planned to spend a few days working on my second book. 

Mum likes the snug cottage with its gas fireplace, and I like being able to walk off leash in crisp, cold air. The first morning, with the temps in the teens, I was in heaven. Mum looked like an Arctic explorer in her red puffer coat with the hood, and I looked stunning in my black fur coat.

We took a brisk walk on the wooded paths before starting back to the cottage.  For a bit of a workout, Mum likes to jog on the last leg of our walks.  By the time she stopped and looked around for me, I had “dis-a-pyred.”  That’s a term that applies to us Great Pyrenees without a fence and off leash.  I don’t do it often, but I wasn’t ready to go inside yet so I “dis-a-pyred” that morning.

Mum spotted me cutting across a meadow towards a creek and called to me to come. Did I mention I wasn’t ready to go inside? As is my tendency, I ignored Mum’s invitation to come. I’m sure it was an invitation, not a command. Luckily for me, Mum’s pretty patient.  She chuckled and watched my wandering, and waited for me to return.

We spent most of the day inside writing, and then we took another walk.  The evening included red wine for Mum, food for me, and more writing in front of the fireplace.  Additional walks ensued on day two, and then Mum’s girlfriends arrived at the Hobbit House, as Mum calls it, to spend a few days with us.

The next day, the girls walked me and then walked to the Black Bear Tavern for breakfast before driving to downtown Black Mountain for a Fairy Hair appointment. The trio came back loaded down with purchases from a few shops plus sparkly silk strands woven through their hair.  There was talk of learning to do Fairy Hair with me as a guinea pig—or guinea dog. If I must endure sparkles, I demand they be royal purple. 

The girls spent the week shopping, dining out, taking walks with me, and showering me with attention as they lounged in front of the fireplace.  I thought it was a perfect week, and when I heard Mum’s girlfriends use words like “best-ever trip,” I knew they agreed. I’m sure I was the special ingredient that made the trip so wonderful.

The last morning, Mum took me for a long walk, and I caught her off guard when I decided to take a dip in the creek.  She seemed to think swimming in 20⁰ weather was inappropriate, but she laughed and dried me off, and before I knew it, we were on our way home. Need I say, “Life is good?"

Lord Banjo lives in Georgia with his Mum, Kathy Manos Penn. Find similar stories in his book, “Lord Banjo the Royal Pooch,” available on Amazon. Contact him at inkpenn119@gmail.com.