“Dad, Russ here! The stud atop Silver Siberian Summit where I take in Spencerville’s daily soap opera starring Fenway & Spencer’s crazy romance. A mix of deep thoughts about frisbees, peanut butter principles and failed fetch attempts. Love’s turned them into dog bananas! Ah, the drama! Off to scare the mailman. – Irving Bingbong”

Listen to the story here.

“Well isn’t this something!” I say to myself, gazing at the bustling town square from the parapet of Silver Siberian Summit. My name’s Russell, the English Bulldog. You must have heard of me. If not, just ask any canine around here, they’ll tell you all about my legendary Blue frisbee or the notorious Colonel Quakers rumble. Sure love my cozy life here in Spencerville.

I spot Silly, the Boston Terrier, near Yappy Yogurt, gorging her face, as usual. “Always the gourmet, ain’t she?” I think. But today my mind is elsewhere. All this cheesesteak and peanut butter fascination seems frivolous compared to the emotional disarray my heart’s witnessing.

Among my friends, there’s this one, Fenway – a fellow English bulldog, agile and carefree. He’s got a heart as large as his panting mouth and a spirit that can outlast his thunderous snorts. Spencer, The pug, my guide in moments of existential crisis. To put it succinctly, he’s the Sartre to my Nietzsche. Now, these two characters are very different, and you must be thinking, “Russell, you’re a dog. Life’s about commandeering socks and giving mailmen a scare. Why bother with all this romance mumbo jumbo?”

When it all began, I was there, watching Fenway and Spencer, two distinctly different personalities, kind of falling for each other. Ah, Spencerville… You’ve seen it all! From prancing Dobermans on Bullmastiff Boardwalk to Schnauzers sneaking around The Tail Wagger’s Tailor for a new bow-tie, and even my buddies going all gooey inside.

Every sneaky lick, every paw-hold at the Golden Retriever River side, every shared ‘Bow Wow Burger’, every quiet evening stroll with The Groom Room in the backdrop sporting a gorgeous sunset – it was all too comical, too cute. And the obstacles in their way? Mark my words, comedy gold!

Imagine Spencer, the intellectual pug, handling Fenway’s athletic inclinations. He barely kept pace with Fenway during the evening fetch sessions. My poor buddy Spencer being tugged and ragged juggling between cozy naps and Fenway’s boisterous play urges.

On the other hand, Fenway trying to philosophize things like why frisbees are more charming than tennis balls or how Colonel Quakers lost to him at chess. Seriously, Fenway, bless his heart, giving up on his peanut butter stash just because Spencer imparted some wisdom on the principles of sharing; an act which left even the gossip mongering Golden Retrievers speechless.

Ah, love! It makes you go bananas, and in the case of these two, dog bananas! But despite all these comedic obstacles, they found solace in each other’s yaps and barks. The plain and simple truth is, they fell in love.

Reflecting on all this mess, standing atop the Silver Siberian Summit, I realize, love is the biggest punchline life gives you. It begins as a wiggle-waggle romance, turns into a circus, and settles into a tasteful soup of barks and tail-wags. And as for me, I’ve got Blue, rib eyes and Spencerville. And well, love amongst us canines – it’s just another day in this town.

The End.