








Dad told me that years ago, when he was young and lived in New Jersey, he went to a concert and the hit song sung there had the same title as my blogpost's title. Are any of you old enough to remember Loggins & Messina? "Summer breeze, makes me feel fine . . ." 🎻
The title's even more fitting because we finally had a nice cool breeze today during our early-morning walk. What a summer it's been! Let me tell you about it.
June was a wonderful summer month, warm in the peak of the afternoon but cool at night. Hydrangeas bloom in June here in Korea and we visited Samchun and Auntie and Ddori in Tongyeong just in time to see their awesome display. Ddori had been having some tough days. He can't get a bad tooth removed because of congested heart disease, and he takes medicine every day that makes him cranky. At times he goes all day without eating, an Auntie refers to each attempt to feed him as "war". When we meet, he hates to play anymore but he gives me his affection by licks! 😝
Some of you who pass time on Facebook or Instagram may recognize the spot where we took some of the first photos in today's deck. It's an estuary not too far from the ocean, filled with fish and ducks and crystal clear water. It's the only spot where finnicky Ddori will do his morning "business"💩! Dad was wearing his new Korean-style Crocs slippers and we hammed it up for the camera quite a bit!
Some weeks later, in July, Ddori and Samchun and Auntie came north to spend time with us in Yeongdong. By then the summer heat was tough to handle after 10am, so we went to the Well Being Resort and had a nice time--but no iced coffee and treats, just cool water before we rode home.
A few weeks later, this time in August, we went back to Tongyeong. Big Samchun and Big Auntie took summer vacation then and they joined us after a couple of days. We all were hoping to escape the heat. FAIL! 🥵🔥🥵! It was just as hot as Yeongdong and Daejeon, but Dad was quick to remind me to stay positive. In Tongyeong, there are more parks and more shade. To beat the heat, he carried me here and there to the shady spots so I could enjoy my walks in the morning, afternoon and night. There's always a cool breeze too, which feels nice after a long walk.
After all those walks (and delicious treats fed to me by Samchun and Auntie), I'd need to take a break. My favorite spot is near the living room window. That's me lazing away in my mini-house, dreaming the dreams of angels, as Dad says. He and Mom are jealous of how I can just plop myself down and be in dreamland in seconds!
One day Big and Small Samchun and Dad went on a boat trip to a national park on a small island off the island of Geoje. That's me and Ddori waiting and waiting and waiting for them to come home, Ddori near the icepack he lies on to stay cool.
How was your summer? Dad tells me that when he was a kid in school, his teacher made students write an essay in the first class of the year titled, "What I Did This Summer." I never went to school, and never wrote an essay like that. But if I got the chance, I'd say, "I lived my best life. I got up early every day and went for a walk with Dad and occasional walks at night, after it cooled down. I confronted the monsters and never gave in . I ate all my food, and treats and beef and ice cream birthday cake too. I helped Mom and Dad at home and enjoyed trips to Tongyeong and back to see my family. And when I slept, I dreamed the dreams of angels."
Thanks for reading my tale and see you next time!
Tango 🐾
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