HAPPY EMANCIPATION DAY & JOYOUS HOMECOMING!

Happy Emancipation Day and Joyous Homecoming Weekend to my Bahamian friends and family. On August 1, 1834 the Slavery Abolition Act ended slavery in the British Empire. What a monumental and magnificent day. Here on the island celebrations went from August 1st through today, the 6th. Cook outs, Fish Fry Events, a Bottom Fishing Tournament, Domino Tournament, Live Music, Sailing Races...big goings on. The island is full to bursting with friends and family from far away coming back home to revel in togetherness.

I can't help but feel a little pensive on a day like this. It's a good opportunity to reflect on where I came from, and express my gratitude for where I am now. I lead a Blessed Life and enjoy so much Freedom. I don't just mean freedom to do as I please, but freedom from negative things like hunger, fear, cold, loneliness. I've known all of those things, as have many other of my kind. I was fortunate enough to find several sets of very kind humans, eventually ending up with my furever family I have now. Remembering my own early puppyhood and the gnawing of deep hunger, constant pain of an untreated broken leg, and bone chilling cold of January in the mountains of Virginia, makes me inexpressibly grateful for the security I enjoy living in the Bahamas with my People.

Remembering my own roots led me to wonder about the many dogs that live here on the island. How did they get here? What stories do they have to tell? What freedoms are they most grateful for? I decided to find the answers to these questions, and sat down with several local canines to get their two scents...er, cents. ;-)

Pic courtesy of Joelle

 Meet Stephanie & Henri. Stephani is a Shih Tzu who was born in the Bahamas and grew up on our little island here. Stephani adopted her current human after spending her first couple years living outside dodging rocks thrown by mean people and losing her puppy to a tragic case of hit and run. Stephani overcame a near-fatal case of Heart Worms and today lives a happy, well-groomed, healthy life filled with lots of love. Her favorite toys are the squeaky ones, and she can't believe it took her two years to find out about them. Some nights she'll stay up chewing and squeaking until the sun peeks through the windows. Humans love that. Stephani also enjoys chasing lizards, crabs, and bugs. Her favorite thing about living on the island is all of the insects, especially the crunchy ones! She likes the chew them up, spit them out and roll in them. Getting one's scent "just right" is something of an art, as we dogs know, and sometimes it requires the formulation of several sources. If Eau du Dead Cockroach doesn't seem quite right, sometimes Stephani will find a dead fish or some decaying plant matter and roll around in that. Ah! Perfect. We all know what happens after that, though; invariably as soon as you get your smell just the way you like it, the humans will come along and wash it all off. Harrumph!!! Ah well. Tomorrow is another day, and there is never a shortage of fantastic smells to rub on oneself. Stephani has lots of friends on the island. Her human adopted chickens that live near their house and Stephani loves them. She has mixed feelings, though, because she licked the foot of one of the chickens once and it tasted really good. She doesn't want to eat her friends, but why do they have to taste and smell so good? Thank goodness her human is diligent in reminding her that the chickens are her friends, not food. Stephani's other friends include local dogs, known as "Potcakes", and her housemate, Henri.
We'll catch up with Henri in tomorrow's post. I wonder if he enjoys the same things as Stephani.
Until next time friends, Roll, Lick, & Love, cuz Life's too short to Growl about everything.