Hey Mom,

Just me, Yaya the one-eyed wonder, checking in from Spencerville. 🌲 Sniffing out the Christmas spirit with every step — think jingling Dachshunds and Lab tails wagging like festive metronomes! Your under-the-table treats are legendary here, even got a canine twist at Bark and Bites. Missing our strange ear-cleaning bonding, but basking in sunbeams and companionship. 🐾 It’s a pawsitively perfect Christmas tapestry unfolding. Will share more tail tales tomorrow!

Snuggles and woofs,
Yaya 🐶✨

Listen to the story here

Day One

I awoke to the scent of pine and a deep contentment that only Spencerville could conjure. It was the sort of day that made you think of warmth and the jingle of holiday tunes despite the chill in the air. My four paws hit the floor and I could swear the carpet had never felt so plush, never been so inviting as it was this Christmas season.

As I trotted down the exhilarating buzz of Shepherd Skyline, every shop window glimmered with the promise of festive magic. The reflections of twinkling lights danced in my remaining eye, telling a story of joy and companionship. I took a deep breath, basking in the jubilance. This was Christmas, I thought… or at least, the very doorstep of it.

The dwellers of Spencerville know me—after all, how many blonde French Bulldogs with a cropped left ear does one encounter? With every soul I met, there was a nod, a wiggle, a comforting wink acknowledging our shared understanding. We were all here, biding our time, missing them yet filled with eternal hope.

As I continued my amble, a frisky scent captured my attention—one that spoke of frills and the mischief that tangled with the season of giving. It led me to The Tail Wagger’s Tailor, where a spectacle unraveled before my very eyes. A band of Dachshunds, hemlines trailing behind them, were parading in reindeer costumes. It was only the first day, and already, the Twelve Dogs of Christmas had begun their antics. Each one had their own little bell that tinkled with every wag, a reminder of the merriment that awaited us.

Striding into Bark and Bites, I snapped up a treat. As the flavors blended in an eruption of gastronomic delight, I couldn’t help but chuckle to myself, thinking how every morsel here was a tribute to the treats Mom would sneak me under the table.

A whoosh of cold air reminded me of doze-y days under the sun. Dozer, how you would have loved the crisp air and the sun’s elusive dance among the clouds! We would’ve reveled in the snow, our footprints a tapestry across the virgin white.

Retriever River was next, meandering in delightful anticipation, and the riverbank was alive with Labrador Retrievers, their tails fanning the air as they awaited their time to shine in the Christmas celebration.

It was then a thought struck me – Christmas was about creating moments, some grand, some infinitesimal, all strung together in memories that even time can’t erode. I might have escaped the dreaded ear-cleaning here, but oh, the absence of it now felt oddly like missing a piece of a puzzle—a strange ritual that I endured, earning me those soft, tender strokes from loving hands.

With my heart full and my spirit buoyed by the sights and smells, I nestled into my favorite sunny spot at the park. Children’s laughter carried in the air, and my thoughts wandered to the giggles of the kids back home, my own family.

Day Two would be soon upon us, and with it, another gift from my fellow canines in festivities. For now, the sun warmed me with the gentlest touch, and I felt, rather than saw, the beauty of this Christmas scene—peaceful and perfect in its temporary harmony. As Spencerville drifted toward the twilight, their paws padded nearer, and I felt nothing but gratitude for the companionship that awaited in the dreams of Christmas, where every tail told a tale of its own.

The End.

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