Even though Nooka was “my dog” — almost as much as I was “her human” — I did spend the majority of her life away from the farm (mostly working & living in Germany) and thus away from her … Nooka had other friends, of course — my mother, my stepfather, several employees of my stepfather’s company who worked nearby — and yet Nooka was exceptionally social (even for a dog) and regularly pined for human interaction; so much so that by all indications she went looking for the same throughout the neighborhood; indeed so much so that she then finally found the same in the form of my folks’ neighbors — Russell & Maria …

By all indications, whenever Nooka was feeling lonely she would — for many days of more than a few years — set out and walk all the way to Russell & Maria’s house, where she not only made herself at home, but was also welcomed there as though she was truly Home. Below is a picture of her hanging out on Russell & Maria’s front porch, and I place it here to simply say THANK YOU to these lovely people who so humbly and so fully accepted Nooka into their Family — even though she technically “belonged” elsewhere.

Filed under: Practical Tips for Peace-full Living by Scaughdt