Baby Kemba . . . On October 25, 2014, I spotted baby Kemba striding happily along with Steve the Breeder in the parking lot of a Homewood Suites motel in Scarborough, Maine, near Portland.  This was the rendezvous spot where I was to take possession of my 10-week-old Duck Toller puppy.  The last time I’d laid eyes on the little fur ball had been six weeks earlier, when Matt and I had traveled to Nova Scotia to choose our four-week-old roly poly little cutie — the one with the...

Kemba’s new best friend: Luna the Cavapoo . . . My good, good boy is back after his summer tune-up at Camp Marlon.  I . . . until he meets Ruby the Bernese Mountain Dog send him there from time to time so that Kemba’s A#1 trainer, Marlon, can re-install the good behaviors —with his loving care, patience, and expertise — that I spend the rest of the year undoing with my lax discipline, lack of follow-through, and general indulgence.  Kemba’s major for this session...

7 Devon in all its splendor We interrupt this blog about dogs to bring you some breaking news:  The House Formerly Known as Camp Herman has been torn down. Yes, the old white colonial on Devon Road, home to the Beagle Man and family for over 30 years — through June of 2018 —is no more.  Rather than get carried away with my own nostalgia, here are some recollections and impressions from the three generations of boys-now-men — Hermans and non-Hermans alike — who grew up there. When...

Maybe not reading. But definitely relaxing. “Patient is a 70-year-old male” it said at the top of my doctor’s notes on the MyChart app.  And my first reaction — I swear! — was “Who the hell is he talking about??” Same thing with my dog.  He’s not getting any younger, either — but I still think of Kemba as a puppy.  From recent evidence, though, I might have that one wrong, too. Since last Friday, we’ve been weathering the pandemic out in...

The world’s best, most handsome Beagle would be turning 17 today.  We still miss him . . . _______________ SNOWY FUN                                                                                                                                                                                    It’s like Ricky William Herman knew he was named after an NFL running back. To this day, we still go outside in the winter and have “Snowy Fun.” Now it consists of...

Canine cool meets badass bandit Is today Thursday?  Or Friday?  Wait —it’s Wednesday?  Really?  Hard to tell the difference during our shelter-at-home sabbatical.  You just have to find your own ways to add a little spice to your days.  Carol, for example, tripped over an empty suitcase in our bedroom, crashed to the floor, and fractured her left Nobody moves, nobody gets hurt shoulder plus her right knee.  Now she gets to hobble around the house in a high-tech knee stabilizer...

I’ll admit it:  I’ve never totally understood my young friend Kemba.  First of all, what’s with this insane exercise fetish of his?  Beagle Man takes him out in the morning, they run, and they play fetch forever.  Then B-Man sits down at Me doing two of my favorite things: eating . . .   his desk to work and what does Kemba do?  He keeps staring at him, hoping for more.  Just sleep, dude!  And his need to strain on his leash to see people all the time?...

We went up to Vermont over the weekend.  Just Mom, Beagle Man, and me.  Things were strange.  Beagle Man took me for a walk along French Hollow Road.  Said we couldn’t do our usual hiking trail around Equinox Pond, because we weren’t supposed to be near anyone.  We drove to the next town — Peru — and passed Bromley Mountain on the way.  It was still covered This is what Beagle Man thinks Route 11 in Vermont looks like with snow, but the lifts weren’t running,...

Back in stride Kemba Walker Herman was cleared yesterday for light fetching-related activities.  He’s spent the last two weeks on the Injured List after hyperextending his right front elbow while tumbling tail over teakettle during a vigorous fetching session at Compo Beach on February 24.  Team physicians at Winslow Park Animal Hospital reported that “Kemba’s gait looked good” upon his return to action, but they stressed his progress needs to be monitored...

O Canada (our future home in the Rosedale section?) For the first time since Matt and I made our pilgrimage to Nova Scotia in 2014 to pick out the then tiny and adorable four-week-old Kemba from his litter (“I’d like the one with the green collar, and the white flash on his nose”), I returned to Canada.  Carol and I spent last weekend in Toronto for a country music concert, some Raptors hoops, and a whole bunch of Kemba at 4 weeks — on Selection Day city walking...