As some people know, one of our dogs is a Samoyed mix. A notable feature of Samoyeds is the fact that the tail curves over the dog’s back like a big, fluffy C. Interestingly, if you stretch the tail out straight, it’s not particularly long. In fact, it’s kind of stubby compared to a retriever tail. But what it lacks in length, it makes up in character. Sometimes as Cami trots by the table, all we see is a few white tufts bobbing by.
We call Cami’s tail, the "Truffula Tail" in honor of Dr. Seuss’ book, the Lorax. When I was a kid, the Lorax was one of my favorite books. For those who aren’t in the know, the book is actually about conservation, specifically, how the evil Once-ler doesn’t listen to the Lorax and eventually regrets destroying the Truffula Tree habitat by harvesting every last tree in a very non-sustainable way. The Truffulas are described as:
"Those Truffula Trees
All my life I’d been searching for trees such as these.
The touch of their tufts
was much softer than silk.
And they had the sweet smell
of fresh butterfly milk."
As we sit at the table and see that white Truffula Tail floofing its way along, we’re happy that we get to share our environment with such an expressive tail (which is also softer than silk). And as I watch Cami run through the forest, I’m pretty sure that if she could, she’d "speak for the trees" like the Lorax.