by Pamela Sigler Taylor

Created on: June 23, 2008   Last Updated: October 31, 2008

It was pup's first journey camping. His pup tent was packed and it had his name on the side. It said, Pup's tent. Pup was so excited!

I can remember seeing his family set up camp near us one summer in Michigan. I ran over to meet the little girl as soon as I could. I wanted to pet her pup and play with it. My dog was at home and I missed him dearly. Pup was so cute! He had the biggest brown eyes and a wiggly tail. He was just a tad bigger than most cats but he was still all dog! His owner's name was Peggy. She was a friendly girl who loved dogs too.

She and I were friends at first sight! We played and took Pup on walks. We ventured near the lake's edge and allowed pup to go in but a wee amount to chase a small twig we had found along the shore. Pup was so happy! He loved to camp and so did Peg and I. We were having a great time! We swam, we hiked, we fished. Then it began to grow late.

That night Peg and I said good night and returned to our own family campfires. We talked that we would meet in the morning to share the day. As I sat at the fire I made plans for all that we could do. I wondered if pup might like a ride in a row boat. Then it was time for bed. As I drifted off to sleep I dreamt of the upcoming day with pup and Peg.

Then, during the night I heard a strange sound. It sounded like a wailing noise combined with whimpers and barks. Then an odoriferous smell filled the air. What was it? The smell burned the inside of my nose. I sat up in bed and awakened my father. I asked him what was going on. He said that a skunk must have gotten into someone's site. I hoped it wasn't pup's tent. But, sadly enough it was.

I could hear Peg and her family talking. Their voices filled the night air and wafted into our trailer along with the smell. The next morning Peg and I had to take pup to the lake. This time instead of walking him along the shore's edge we had to bathe him. We scrubbed his little body with tomato juice while her father burned pup's tent. Even after all that scrubbing the odor seemed to fill our noses and the surrounding campsites.

That afternoon my new found friend and her family packed up their belongings and went home, I watched as their truck pulled out filled with their camping supplies. Pup's food, daddy told me, had attracted a skunk. The dog food my new friend Peg had placed into Pup's tent had tempted the skunk. Peg didn't want pup to get hungry. But, she had made the mistake of leaving out open food after dark.

I often remember that day in Michigan. I wonder where Peg is now. I wonder if she still has a dog. Then, I wonder if she ever puts food in its tent when she camps. Then, I know that the answer is probably, no.

Many summers have passed since that day. I have never since seen a pup in his own little tent. But, perhaps somewhere out there it exists.

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