Hey Mom,

Just a quick bark to let you know, today I played Petfather at Upper Collie Canyon, balancing fur diplomacy with playtime. Made sure our Spencerville pack thrives with enough toys and belly rubs for all. It’s a ruff job, but someone’s gotta do it! Back home, the guardian of our snug burrow, reflecting on this pupper’s pawprint in the world.

Licks and wags,
Caly 🐾👑

Listen to the story here

The sun had barely kissed the horizon, painting the sky with hues of orange and pink when I shook off the comforts of my plush basket. I’m not usually one for the early hours, but today was significant. Today, Upper Collie Canyon awaited, and with it, the subtle dance of power I had come to lead within the canine community of Spencerville.

My name is Calypso, and if the whispers in the alleys of Pup-Tastic Pizza could be believed, I was the Petfather—the one who sat at the helm of every decision that made the tails of this town wag or halt in anxiety. Though it sounds ostentatious, and heaven knows I’ve never been one to dwell on pomposity, there was a certain thrill in the reverence my orange tail commanded as it signaled my arrival.

Stepping out onto the peaceful streets, my breath frosted in the crisp air; the town was stirring, and the delicate aromas from Pawsome Pancakes were beginning to drift with the morning breeze. I took a steady path towards Upper Collie Canyon, my favored stuffed toy, a well-worn rabbit, clutched firmly in my jaws. It was a token, a symbol of the softer side that balanced the sternness required by my role.

The meeting was set under the pretense of a friendly romp in the park; one does not conduct business openly, not even in a town as serene as Spencerville. I greeted the Jack Russells with a nod, their energy boundless as they skittered around my legs, while the hulking figure of Bruno, the St. Bernard, lumbered in with a respectful dip of his head towards me. Yes, to the untrained eye, it was nothing more than a gathering of Spencerville’s canine elite, enjoying the luxuries of our humanesque existences.

But amidst the chasing and playful yapping, the real discussions unfolded. Territory expansions, the desired hours of continuous belly-rubbing, and rules around the new shipment of chew toys—these were the crucial bullet points of my itinerary. Fairness, loyalty, and the occasional need for a firm paw were the principles I stood by, ensuring that every snout in Spencerville could sniff in contentment.

“You know, a word from you, and the queues at The Groom Room would disappear,” Cassidy, a sleek border collie, suggested as we watched over the rolling hills. Her tone was light, but the implication of her request carried weight.

“My influence is a gift, Cassidy, not to be squandered on trifles,” I replied, careful to guide with dignity, my piercing blue eyes softening to make my point known. We were a family here, after all, each one of us waiting for that cherished reunion with the ones we held dearest.

As the sun climbed higher, I felt its warm embrace, a familiar comfort that always seemed to settle the occasional storm within me. My thoughts drifted; the ocean was a sore reminder of a world that no longer tethered me—an endless expanse that mirrored the uncertainty of life before Spencerville. But here, the ground was firm, the paths we carved, certain.

By the time we all parted, decisions had been made, alliances strengthened. I returned home, my rabbit toy a little dirtier from the day’s discussions. These are the strings I pull, the quiet whispers that hold together the harmony of Spencerville.

I paused at the edge of my garden, my blue gaze catching the silhouette of Upper Black Bulldog Bay in the distance, its waters a contrast to the stability around me. In this nearly perfect place, I reveled in the day-to-day simplicity, balancing the careful orchestration of a pet’s paradise with the quiet reassurance that Spencerville was as much my legacy as the legend it housed for us all.

As evening settled, and the pink turned to deep blue, I curled up on my porch, a watchful guardian. I had become more than just a Siberian Husky—I was a confidant, a ruler, a sage in canine form, waiting, watching, ensuring that every creature under my watchful eye slept as soundly as I would tonight.

The End.