What I Didn’t Read This Week
I didn’t read much this week.
Not because I didn’t want to, but because my attention was fully occupied elsewhere. Last week, we were busy filling out paperwork, driving, and waiting. This week, our house whirls with young cattle dog energy.
In case you’re not on Instagram, let me catch you up. A week ago Friday, we brought home Churro, a five-month-old cattle dog. And somewhere between the car ride, the first night, and the enthusiastic enforcement of his own preferred schedule, reading quietly slipped off the priority list. Advertised by his rescue as a “sweet and spicy” snack, Churro brings opinions, speed, and a truly impressive amount of energy.
If this sounds familiar, it’s because I’ve written about dogs and routines before. In The Dog Beside My Desk, I remembered Taro, a mature, steady canine presence who supervised my work with the calm authority of someone who had seen drafts come and go. He was a helpmate in the truest sense of the word: grounding, patient, and deeply content to nap beside my desk while I typed.
What I had apparently forgotten is that before cattle dogs become that… they are chaos.
Young cattle dog pandemonium.
Churro is and isn’t everything Taro was. He’s also several years and many impulse controls earlier. I’m loving it, truly. But I am also rediscovering muscles I’d forgotten, and developing a new appreciation for how much energy can be packed into one determined, too-clever body.
The house isn’t quiet these days. It’s busy. Loud. Occasionally baffling.
It’s full of flashing teeth, opinions, treats, and toys. So, that’s why I didn’t read much this week.
Not because books stopped mattering, but because I was busy remembering what it’s like to build new rhythms. To trade stillness for motion. To be pulled fully into the present by a creature who has no interest in chapters unless they involve snacks or adventures. Preferably both.
Once upon a time, I wrote about the dog beside my desk. This week, the dog is everywhere else. I suspect eventually he’ll find his way there too. Just maybe not until he’s a little older.
The stories will wait. They always do.
For now, I’m happy to be slightly sore, tired, and very aware that I have invited joyful chaos back into my life. A huge shout-out to the Pacific Northwest Cattle Dog Rescue for bringing Churro into our lives.
Next week, I’ll be back to reading and working on Ink and Waves.
This week, I’m hustling to keep up.