Every community keeps a register of its notables. Some sit on the county board; others merely sit — magnificently, and without apology — in the middle of the kitchen floor. This newspaper is pleased to introduce a monthly salute to the second sort.
Our inaugural honoree is Emma Blue Klaus, a golden retriever of evident good breeding and, on the evidence before us, a philosophically unhurried disposition. Photographed at home on a weekday afternoon — forelegs neatly crossed, collar catching the light, a plush unicorn standing sentry in the background — Emma regards the camera with the serene authority of a dog who knows the household turns on her schedule, and see no reason to hurry it along.
A note for the record: the golden retriever is not a Sonoma native. The breed was developed on a Scottish Highland estate from the late 1860s, bred to haul waterfowl out of cold lakes in colder weather. Emma, it would appear, has negotiated a considerably more agreeable posting.
Nominate your pet
The Wag is now accepting entries for pet of the month — dogs, cats, horses, hens, the occasional dignified tortoise. Send a photograph and a sentence or two to [email protected], with your animal’s name and town. There is no prize, save the admiration of the entire upper valley — which we submit is prize enough.
Pet of the month is a reader feature. Photographs are submitted by their owners and published with permission.