Back In Time

After college I was given the opportunity to work at a local boarding kennel and get on my feet after losing my folks and inheriting the house (and mortgage). I've known these people since back in my high school days (and maybe even junior high) when I was friends with one of the owner's sons.

I don't recall exactly how I got involved with the kennel, but the connection may have been at the garden center/feed & grain store I worked at in high school. I worked part time at the kennel during college breaks which lead to full time after that. I ended up staying there for eight years before securing the municipal job I have now since 1999. With expenses rising daily if not hourly I decided to look for part-time work to supplement our income a little. I applied for and got a job at a dog daycare in Sandwich sometime in late winter. There were a few issues that developed once spring hit that made it not worthwhile at all. The commute, the cost of gas, the lack of hours and the low pay. I enjoyed the people and the animals, but it became silly to continue. I was using two gallons of fuel each time I worked there if I drove my truck which, as of now is over $8. If I worked 2 or 3 hours at $8.50 per hour.... well, you can see the problem.

I stopped by the kennel about a month or so ago for a visit and chatted with my old bosses. I told them what I had been doing and they were more than willing to make arrangements to fit me back into the mix. 2.5 miles from Frost Bottom and better pay. Excellent.

I worked there this past Sunday and I have to say after not being there for over nine years it still felt as though I only left yesterday. I found myself going through motions like I had done so many times before. Simple things like opening gates or slipping kennel leashes over dogs heads in one motions came right back. It was actually quite strange, but I was very happy to have been back there. I had not realized how much the place, the people and the property had meant to me. I also am more in my element there than at the other dog place. I have much more control over the situations there as all the dogs are in their own place, but still get plenty of exposure to other dogs and the staff. I can also monitor their health more closely as well and on an individual basis.

The property recently sold to our local private land conservation group, which I was excited about when it happened, but I do have mixed feelings about now mainly because there is an actual end in sight to the business that has been in place since the year I was born. So, after some schedule adjustments I should be putting more hours in over there.