Juno on and off the wall

Five year old labradoodle is a remarkably insightful dog blogger with a growing following.

I don’t understand why everyone is so grumpy right now. I am basically a very pawsitive labradoodle. Life in designed to be fun, playful, exuberant, creative. I love the image above that celebrates the beautiful in life, on and off the wall.

I am reminded of the Nova Scotia artist, Maude Lewis. Pawpaw introduced us to her in an earlier blog. She created frolicking beauty on the walls of her dismally appointed hut/house. She created colour and beauty amidst a dreary and oppressive life. She created a unique style of folksy art widely celebrated throughout maritime Canada and beyond following her death in 1970. Pawpaw’s blog “Maudie’s Mansion” remains very popular amongst takenote.ca readers.

Dogs and humans ask me about the source of my own sunny disposition. Often dubbed “Dancing queen,” “Fruit loops,” or “Party girl,” it feels like I was born this way. Some suggest that such a fun-loving lifestyle is part of a Labradoodle temperament. As a hybrid of Labrador Retrievers and Poodles, we were first bred as service dogs for visually impaired humans. Our gentle, happy-go-lucky trait prepared us well for a life of service.

While not an official breed here in Canada, labradoodles are recognized as such in Australia. There are two lines, an F1 and F2. Personally I feel like an F3 — I am in a class by myself. I am easy to train (some debate here admitted — it depends who you ask). Humans I meet at the dog park often comment on my Furrybeads collar. My collar is sacramental; my collar is an outward and visible sign of a spiritual truth. I embody joy; I am joy; my joy appears as joyfulness; I enjoy life. That’s it, pure and simple.

So let’s talk about the drawing on the wall. Mawpaw tells the story from when they lived in Sooke near Victoria. Prior to moving on to Pawpaw’s next clergy posting they spent one final night in the harbourside rectory — the movers had already taken the furniture; they stayed one extra night so Pawpaw could officiate at a funeral. Young Cameron decided to write on the wall at that most inconvenient time. A hastily recruited cleaning crew sprang into action. For suggestions on how to remove crayon and other artistic elements from walls the folks at homemadesimple.com have a few suggestions, one involving mayonnaise.

Truth be told, the simplest strategy is to leave the markings in place and organize a new visual life around them. To that end, I am considering designing a mural. Murals have become so popular in places like Chemainus, BC, the “Little town that could.” Another example of mural creation is Merritt BC.

I have not yet suggested to Mawpaw and Pawpaw that I create a mural in the courtyard of our Thompson Road home. Of course, such a project will require permission from the strata council; pawpaw however is treasurer so he usually gets what he wants from “the authorities.” I imagine something like a five-panel life story titled “Juno — I did things my way.”

Birth of Juno — Early life

No way man! — Adolescence

Growing confidence and a loud bark ­— Growing voice and vocation

Brown like me — Encountering racism

Five of fifteen — The future imagined

Maybe Pawpaw’s friend Ken can help me with some designs. He created a lot of public murals back in the day. See what happens. Watch this space.

Thanks for reading. Woof.