The Decade: A New Best Friend

There’s excitement when moving to a city you’ve never visited before. It could be an opportune time to reinvent yourself. To form new hobbies and embark on relationships that are misguided but ultimately shamelessly fun. If I’m being honest though, I settled rather quickly into my comfortable ways again. I’m an introverted homebody and those just aren’t traits conducive to being the life of the party. And no one talks about it much, but forming adult bonds and friendships is a rather difficult thing to do. As you get older, most people have their social groups established. Life can get especially lonely when starting over from scratch.

Within two weeks of my move, I made a new best friend though. A little guy that has brought me such happiness and unconditional love that I can literally feel my heart swell with emotion when I think of him. The “guy” I’m talking about is my wee Monty, a mixed breed with the sweetest personality. He is twenty pounds of both teddy bear and sentry. Adopting a dog forced me to explore my new city and focus on something other than my own isolated milieu. One of my most cherished memories were the first three nights he spent adapting to life in my apartment.

Night one: I placed Monty in his kennel in the living room in order to get him accustomed to my absence. All night he cried. I broke resolve rather quickly and brought him into my bedroom.

Night two: I placed Monty’s pet bed on the floor next to my own with the hopes that he would easily drift into slumber knowing I was in the same room as him. This didn’t work either as he kept attempting to jump up onto my bed. He didn’t cry—and he didn’t bark— but the sound of this struggle broke my resolve.

Night three: Monty had established his place of sleeping on the bed with me, eventually taking over the dead-centre of the mattress so that I could barely move. I didn’t mind at all. Like I said, he’s my teddy bear. For all that his presence has enriched my life, he can live like a king.

The first glimpse I ever saw of Monty. This was the photo used in his adoption listing (2010).

The first glimpse I ever saw of Monty. This was the photo used in his adoption listing (2010).

Your Occasional Monty

Adventuring with my dog was one of the highlights of my summer. No, I didn’t use copy-paste in any of these images. He just knows his angles.

Monty (©Deborah Clague, 2019).

Monty (©Deborah Clague, 2019).

Monty at La Barriere Park, Manitoba (©Deborah Clague, 2019).

Monty at La Barriere Park, Manitoba (©Deborah Clague, 2019).

Monty at the Trappist Monastery Ruins, Winnipeg (©Deborah Clague, 2019).

Monty at the Trappist Monastery Ruins, Winnipeg (©Deborah Clague, 2019).

Monty at La Barriere Park, Manitoba (©Deborah Clague, 2019).

Monty at La Barriere Park, Manitoba (©Deborah Clague, 2019).

Monty (©Deborah Clague, 2019).

Monty (©Deborah Clague, 2019).

Monty (©Deborah Clague, 2019).

Monty (©Deborah Clague, 2019).