Autumn is well underway and writing has not been a priority in terms of blogging. I do most of my writing exercises on Facebook but recent events are making me question that in a strange fashion. But that is another story. This morning finds me at Camp Edith, post maple syrup infused coffee sipping , trying to process the events of the past few days. I am struggling with grief and find myself in a very low place. Perhaps a story of love will lift me onto my feet so I can move forward today.
I was just going through some of my blog posts for the year and discovered something most surprising. I had not shared pictures or many words about the puppy named Tulsi Rose. How strange that is I realized, given the place she had found in my heart since late January. Perhaps because she was Amy’s dog I felt that more appropriate not mentioning her in the sense of privacy. For certain portions of our lives are not shared publicly or openly. But I find it appropriate now to tell my story of my brief journey through time with a most remarkable puppy. And in that telling I might find some comfort if that is even possible at this moment in time.
My emotions are raw and churning . Today I am the fictional surfer that I have often written about on social media. I have been knocked off my surfboard and pulled under the waves. All that keeps me attached to my board is the tether.I am holding my breath as I struggle to regain the surface of a violent ocean. I call it “kissing the coral”. And that analogy does not even accurately describe the agony of my broken heart. It will need to suffice. For I must move forward and push through the pain. For me not to tell the story of Tulsi Rose would not honor her place in my MOONTABS . And oh what a most beautiful and special dog she was!
The story begins in Santa Clara in Amy’s newly purchased home that sits on a small piece of property just off the busy highway Route 458. It was October and as fall turned towards winter, Amy began saying that she was thinking about getting a dog. I encouraged the idea being a dog lover. Gracie is getting on in years and transitioning a new dog into our lives seemed like a logical choice.
Thus began Amy’s extensive research on dog breeds and the search to pick the breed best suited for her and the home setting. Then came the realization of the cost of certain breeds of puppies. Wow! Shelter dogs needing homes seemed like a possible option but they would have already established habits and routines. She reached out to the Joshua Foundation at one point as a possible source for a rescue dog. But one important consideration was that Amy wished for a puppy to train and fit into our home setting. So the search continued. In our discussions I pushed for a larger breed more suited to the outdoors and time that would be spent at the Homestead. These are just a few of the many considerations that were discussed as fall turned into winter.
Sometime in mid January, Amy learned of some mixed breed puppies in nearby Malone, that were going to need to find homes. They were primarily German Shepherd and Doberman with a dash of other breeds we were told. Amy seriously began to think about this as a possible option. She reached out to the lady who had the puppies and was told they would be weaned and ready to go in late January. Pictures were sent of the parents and possibly the puppies but I don’t recall every detail. Knowing that the puppies were a larger breed with German Shepherd DNA was enough for me. This was Amy’s dog and I wanted her to make all the final decisions.
I was volunteering at the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival Ice Palace project the day Amy went to meet the owner of the puppies. It was January 22nd. An earlier date to see them had been postponed so I would not be going. The story has a humorous twist here! The puppy owner loaded all the puppies into the back of a van in a kiddie swimming pool they played in and met Amy in a grocery store parking lot! It all sounds a little sketchy but meeting at the owners house with the puppies parents around was not the best option.
And there she was Amy later told me. The puppy she had seen from a picture as I recall. The first one of the litter to find a home if my memory serves me correctly. And Amy made the decision that was to alter our journey into 2026. She brought the puppy home!
When I returned that night from the ice palace work, I was greeted by a tiny black and tan puppy while a rather pensive Gracie looked on. And my heart was lost from that moment on. And will be forever more. We laughed at the puppy’s playful antics and at one point she joined me in my recliner. It was a most joyous occasion! And our “pack” had gained another member. Life has wonderful moments that create wonderful memories!
Tulsi soon became the focus at the house, especially for Amy. Training her to become house broken became a priority, which as you might imagine, was challenging seeing as it was winter. Tulsi caught on fairly quickly though with Amy’s regimented schedule to walk her outside. Even in the middle of the night at first. Tulsi was kept in her own personal crate right next to Gracie’s crate. She fussed some at first but gradually became accustomed to crate life at bedtime. Feeding both dogs occurred in the crates as it establishes a routine of communication and discipline. Tulsi was a quick learner and her intelligence was obvious.
Days and evenings were spent playing around the downstairs with her favorite toys. Outside she began leash training and daily lessons for obedience. She would beg to be on the couch with Amy sometimes and couldn’t climb up by herself at first. But she often would be content sleeping on an old pillow Amy put next to the couch.I enjoyed cuddle time with her in my recliner and never missed an opportunity to lift her up when she ventured near me in the living room. Going upstairs was scary for her so she didn’t try it at first.
Tusi grew fast as puppies do as the days of February moved closer to spring. The crate training went well and Tulsi began to sleep through the entire night. The house breaking was a success thanks to Amy’s dedication to the training right from the beginning. Dinner times were busy with two dogs to feed and there was always plenty of dog poop to clean up outside. Not so bad in the winter fortunately! I kept trails snow blowed around the house that Tulsi enjoyed exploring. But typically she was kept on her leash for her own safety with the highways close by. She walked with Amy quite often a long a side road near the house some days. Out on the farm she was given much more freedom to run.
Looking back it all seems a bit of a blur now. I wasn’t always at the house in Santa Clara because I usually spent time at the farm each week. But when I arrived at the house, a very hyper Tulsi would excitedly want to jump all over me! She was always so happy to see me! And she was growing quickly! She was a voracious eater and loved vegetables even! Funny since Gracie won’t even touch a vegetable.
Gracie didn’t really take to Tulsi like we had hoped. Gracie found the puppy a bit of a pain really. We watched them carefully and made sure to keep Tulsi away from Gracie when it was obvious that trouble was brewing. We managed to keep the peace mostly. But Gracie was a huge temptation for the energetic puppy!
March brought sugaring to my reality and Tulsi got her first taste of life in the sugarbush and some serious riding time in the side by side. She was hard to watch properly when we were gathering sap and gave us some stressful moments a time or two. But her safety was always a priority given her small size even though she was much bigger than the tiny puppy of January. It takes time to train a puppy to avoid machinery and vehicles. We kept a small crate in the Homestead cabin just for Tulsi to sleep in at night. It worked well given her training.
One memorable afternoon was spent up at Santa Clara as sugaring began to wrap up. We took the dogs up to a nearby easement where they could run free on the dirt access road. Tulsi was having fun exploring everything and chewing on all kinds of sticks. One of her favorite things to do! We got several nice photos that afternoon and had a lot of joyful moments together. There’s nothing like the energy of a puppy to brighten up an outing!
May brought morel hunting at the farm and I had set up the Airstream for living quarters. Tulsi was much bigger now and I was comfortable having her with me if Amy needed a break or was out of town. I let Tulsi sleep in the Airstream with me as she always managed to stay so clean. Her fur was close and dense with minimal shedding issues so having her inside was no issue really. I even let her up on the bed at night. A bad habit but I enjoyed her company as she was such a snuggle bug. I had developed a most wonderful bond with Tulsi and loved her dearly. Her safety was always given top priority. A puppy is like a small child. They need our protection at all times. With Tulsi you never knew what she was apt to pick up with her mouth! A bone. A piece of plastic. Sticks. Poop. Etc. etc. She was one busy, ball of energy!
Tulsi sure did love running around at the farm! It was tricky sometimes keeping her away from the side by side if it was moving. I always preferred it when she was riding although sometimes she just didn’t want to ride. I found it a little unnerving when she wanted to chase me so I kept it to a minimum. B
By the end of May, Tulsi had grown significantly and was really showing what her adult colors and stature would become. She loved laying in front of the wood stove if we needed to have it going. I have a favorite photo of her doing just that.
Spring passed quickly with garden projects at both the Santa Clara house and at the Homestead. Camp Edith was opened for the season and we traveled back and forth between the two places. Gracie and Tulsi were never too far from any activity that’s for sure. Tulsi had gotten used to traveling in the car at this point. Amy had a special seat contraption that gave her a nice flat surface across the back seats. She had gotten so used to seeing Gracie get helped up into the car and truck that she waited for us to help her up into the vehicles. She was totally capable of jumping up herself but thought she was supposed to be lifted! Too funny!
Summer arrived! That meant boats and canoes. Tulsi liked the water and had learned to swim some but boats were still a rather foreign concept to her. We were spending a few days at this place called Hip Camp on a small ADK pond when she made her debut in a canoe. It was a bit challenging but she settled down eventually! And she really enjoyed some quality swim time as well. The remote location offered plenty of opportunity for freedom and she was allowed to sleep in the cabin with us. Most nights she would end up in the tiny bed with us at some point. It was rather crowded but cozy! Gracie was fine on the floor. It was a fun place to relax and have an evening fire with the dogs close by. We were a pack of sorts. But I suppose the dogs were more like family members than members of our pack! So many joyful moments were spent there! We were sad to leave actually.
And just like that it was August! One Canadian fishing trip behind me and the second one about to arrive. Tulsi was not ready to go to bush yet we had decided so she had to miss the trips. Gracie got to go on the one bush trip but I felt like it was a bit much for her. I figured it would be her last which made me a little sad. Being in the boat had gotten to be too much for her. But what about Tulsi? Next year I promised her as she sat in front of my recliner wanting me to caress her and give her attention when I got back home. I’m not sure she understood exactly but I know she missed me when I was gone. She was always so happy to see me when I returned and Amy would have to try and get her to settle down. But she wouldn’t! She had gotten quite big at this point and was quite a handful to manage on the leash at times. Life was full. Busy. And through the days Amy was busy attending to Tulsi and her continuing training. Tulsi was about nine months old and had developed a warm, sweet temperament. She was showing signs of becoming a first rate guard dog as well. Not ugly or viscous acting. Just very observant and alert. And our fondness for her continued to grow as she grew. She was truly one of the family and we loved her dearly.
I’m going to leave the story here for today. I’m going to have trouble getting to the end of it. And it does have an end. I’m going to need more time and words to best honor our wonderful Tulsi Rose. ✍️