It’s hard to believe this month marks five years since my life took a completely unexpected turn. I don’t remember my parents. I’ve been told I was discovered as an abandoned puppy in Todos Santos, a small town in Mexico’s Baja Peninsula. Thankfully, I was dropped off at El Tecolote Bookstore, where the owner, Kate, kept a little enclosure for stray dogs like me. Kate was Todos Santos’ version of the Humane Society, and she kept an eye out for tourists who might want to adopt a dog. Luckily, I didn’t have to wait long. When I was about eight weeks old, a mother and daughter, Carol and Meredith, came into the store. They were heading out on a kayaking trip and Carol wanted a copy of John Steinbeck’s The Sea of Cortez. Meredith, who was a few years out of college, took one look at my floppy little ears and decided they needed me instead. I think Meredith’s exact words to her mom were, “She’ll be my dog, but she’ll live with you.” To my good fortune, Carol agreed. Kate got me all cleared for take-off, and the next thing I knew, I was flying to my new home in Menlo Park.
I have to say my life here is pretty sweet. I get to go on long walks with my dog buddies during the day, and on the weekends, Carol always takes me hiking. We go to the Arastradero Preserve a lot, and we recently went to Tahoe. Oh boy, did I have fun! Since we were on Forest Service lands, Carol let me off leash, and I ran back and forth and back and forth and back and forth. Just out of curiosity, Carol put a Fitbit on me, and by the time we were done with our hike, she had walked six miles and I had logged 15!
I also like to visit the nice folks in assisted living at Palo Alto Commons. They always pet me and let me lick their hands and faces. I like them a lot, but I’m really looking for crumbs. In fact, I love food, and I will eat pretty much anything I can find. Oh, one last thing. Kate first called me Luna, and Carol and Meredith agreed it was a good choice. However, Carol has all kinds of funny nicknames for me like “Luna Tuna,” “Looney Tunes” and, if I’m being a little naughty, “Luna-tic.”
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