Every year my husband and I head up north with a few friends where we rent a cabin on one of Minnesota's many lakes. We spend a week boating, fishing, drinking and relaxing. Sometimes we visit local casinos and shops and there's always a trip or two to town for supplies. We've accrued many memories of our annual summer trips.
Two years ago, August 2016, we stayed on Girl Lake near the small town of Longville, MN. On one of our many trips to town, my friend Susie and I waited by the truck while our friend Mandy walked behind a gas station to dispose of fish guts. Within a minute, she was power-walking back to us, a bear cub behind her. "Is he following me?" She asked, her voice tense. Yes, indeed, he was following her, at an unhurried pace. As the bear came closer we realized he wasn't a bear, but a really shaggy, large dog. The dog came over to us and waited patiently as we each pet him. Susie looked at the tag hanging on his collar. "Bruno" was his name. After visiting with us, Bruno headed down the street. The three of us fretted - where's his owner, why was no one looking for him? Should we tell the local police? We watched Bruno walk with purpose as he disappeared around a corner. I posted his picture on Facebook and one of my friends responded with a link to a news story about Bruno. He was the town's most famous resident and we'd been lucky enough to meet him! Every day, Bruno trekked about 4 miles to town to make his rounds before heading home again. He greeted locals and tourists alike and was well known throughout the state of Minnesota. On Sunday, May 7, Bruno was struck by a car and killed. He'd been 15 years old, a long time for a dog. And a life he enjoyed on his terms, belonging not just to his owners but to the Longville community. Rest in peace, sweet Bruno. We'll always remember you.
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If you've read some of my previous posts, you know this about me:
I'm not an interior designer, but I work in an industry full of designers. As a byproduct, I'm developing my own basic set of aesthetics. The photo below is the wallpaper on my work computer. It's my happy place. I want a room like this in my future dream home. It will be where I relax, write, and commune with nature without allowing pesky Minnesota mosquitoes to interrupt my bliss. |
About Sally FarleyI'm a typical, hardworking Midwesterner, enduring (and sometimes participating in) the passive-aggressive complexities of life in Minnesota. ArchivesLinksAsk a Manager
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