Hey Mom,

Just a quick tail wag from Spencerville! 🎄 I’ve been the heroic tail-wagger of Main Street, hosting a feast at the Pupsicle Palace, reuniting hearts, and spreading the fuzzy warmth of a Christmas to remember. Miss your cuddles tons, but sending loads of slobbery smooches till we reunite. 🐾

Catch ya later, Ace 🐕💖✨

Listen to the story here

If ever there was a mornin’ in Spencerville that felt like the inside of a freshly baked bread, ’twas this one right ‘fore Christmas. And I, bein’ known round these parts as Ace, reveled in the crisp air as daylight peeked like a shy pup over the fields of Retriever River.

Now, I’ll confess, I been privy to a host a’ tales right here in this near perfect place for folks like meself—a yellow lab who’s seen a thing or two ’bout joy and frolickin’ in an everlastin’ summer’s day. Despite missin’ my folks, I was as content as a hound can be waitin’ on that grand reunion, for my days were filled with hearty barkin’ and a joyous ruckus only this place could sustain.

Well, on this particularly wintry day, I ventured down the cobblestone of Main Street with a holiday spirit that could wag a tail clean off. I nodded to the familiar facades, from the Tail Wagger’s Tailor, where the threads fit for a king are spun, to Fetch! Toys and Treats, a palace of chewy, squeaky delight drawin’ in the likes of every critter with nose a-wiggle.

First order o’ business, bein’ the social butterfly that I am, was greetin’ friends from every last corner of our heavenly habitation. There was Bella, the beagle with the howl that’d make an opera singer envious, and Brutus, the bulldog who ruled Black Bulldog Bay with a jowl that always seemed to be contemplatin’ the deeper things in life.

We had all sorts at the Shih Tzu Stadium, with a game afoot that would tickle the fancy of the most stern-faced curmudgeon. Yet, somethin’ more important called. The familiar jingle of my collar sang to me like a siren, leadin’ me to the day’s main affair—the Pupsicle Palace, where a feast for the ages was in keen preparin’.

Imagine if you will, a spread of Bow Wow Burgers as far as the eye could see, with Pup-Tastic Pizza waftin’ odors that’d make a cat consider forgiveness. My favorite, though, ’twas the nachos with that creamy cheese and peanut butter—yep, peanut butter—not a leafy green in sight to soil the sanctity of the table.

Yet today wasn’t just ’bout the food, no siree; ’twas ’bout the souls ’round us. Inside each good boy and girl in Spencerville bloomed an affection as boundless as the skies above. We knew our folks, out there somewhere warmin’ themselves by fires and stringin’ lights, felt our love as surely as we felt theirs.

Through games of fetch that defied physics and races that bested the fastest wind, I saw the intertwinin’ of lives—a tapestry rich and vibrant, pulled tight by the threads of love, unbroken even by the greatest of partings.

Now, as the sun bowed low, concedin’ to the approachin’ evening, we gathered at Retriever River, tongues lollin’ with satisfaction, hearts full. ‘Twas there, beneath a sky painted with nature’s own hues, we shared stories, silent prayers, and the hopeful strain of bridged hearts desirin’ nothin’ more than togetherness, here and beyond.

And in that sacred moment, as the daylight faded to twilight, I saw a truth clear as a well-tuned bark—that every ball chased, every river splashed, and every snooze under the firmament was a silent song of reunion, a note in the melody that’d one day bring us back to those we pined for.

With love and friendship as companions, I knew as surely as my tail knew waggin’, we were all of us together in spirit, just waitin’ under that Spencerville sky for the day our folks would step through that gate, call our names, and never have to let go again. Oh, what a Christmas that’ll be!

The End.