Sedona - and "The Call of the Wild"

[Deanna & Desi & Cori]

For years, Jack London’s Call of the Wild was one of my district’s required novels at the seventh grade level. So for years, the story was an important part of the curriculum in my seventh grade language arts class (special education – we read an abridged/adapted version). I know the story well, but in case you don’t, here’s what I need you to know about the plot in order for my blog to make sense:

As the story opens, Buck, a powerful dog, half St. Bernard and half sheepdog, lives on Judge Miller’s estate in California’s Santa Clara Valley.

He leads a comfortable life there, but it comes to an end when men discover gold in the Klondike region of Canada and a great demand arises for strong dogs to pull sleds. Buck is kidnapped and sold to dog traders, who teach Buck to obey by beating him with a club and, subsequently, ship him north to the Klondike.

Buck quickly adjusts to life as a sled dog, but as the story unfolds, Buck’s experiences in the harsh frozen north arouse within him the instincts of his wild ancestors. He begins to feel “the call of the wild”, steadily losing more and more of his domesticity and civility. One of the early events that stirs this growing attraction to the wild is when Buck chases down and kills a rabbit.

It’s his first taste of blood and it leaves him yearning for more.

It is here that we turn our attention to 2013 and a sweet doodle named Sedona. As this new tale begins, Sedona leads a more-than-comfortable life on Doug and Deanna’s “estate” in California’s Santa Clara Valley. One morning, Doug takes Sedona out for her “morning constitutional”. Rather than her usual dash to the yard to take care of business, Sedona seems preoccupied with something in and around the bushes. Doug investigates and finds a young gopher darting into the center of the hedge. Sedona eventually appears to lose interest and runs off to go potty. Doug comes back inside, but Sedona (uncharacteristically) stays outside. Doug relates the story of the gopher to Deanna, who expresses concern (for both the gopher and Sedona). Doug ASSURES Deanna that the gopher is too far into the hedge; neither Sedona nor the cat could reach it. Less than 15 minutes later, a wet and muddy Sedona prances up to the kitchen’s sliding glass door, sporting a look of pride and a gopher tail dangling from her mouth.

Her first kill, her first taste of blood, and it apparently has left her yearning for more! No longer does she spend her evenings lazily curled up next to Doug. No! She sits at the French door overlooking the deck, watching for any strange movement. Every few minutes, she’s out the doggie door, on the hunt.

In Call of the Wild, Buck eventually fully answers the call and heads off into the wild, where he becomes the leader of a pack of wolves. He becomes a legendary figure, a Ghost Dog, fathering countless cubs and inspiring fear in the local Yeehat Indians.

Fortunately, I think for Sedona (AKA Killer) the “call of the squeaky ball” is more powerful than the “call of the wild” and she’ll be sticking around our “estate” for good!

[Deanna & Desi & Cori]

Kathy - the 5-paragraph essay, of course!!  On a funny note, I've been out of the classroom now for eleven years (doing private educational assessment), but I still frequently say, "Oh, that would be a perfect assignment" or "I'd love to include that in my teaching".  Guess you can take the teacher out of the classroom, but you can't take the classroom out of the teacher.

[Kathy and Winnie Schuyler]

Well done, teacher!  Your former students would love to read your sequel to The Call of the Wild.  Are we to do a 3-D project or a five-paragraph essay comparing and contrasting Buck's and Sedona's stories?

[Deanna & Desi & Cori]

Thanks, Jarka!

[Jarka, Monty & Auggie]

Cute blog! Thank goodness the call of the squeaky ball always wins.

[Deanna & Desi & Cori]

Doris - I think you're right, the princess is here to stay!  Thanks!

Joanna - EW is right.  I wouldn't let her kiss me for hours!  Still kind of creeps me out.  Thanks!

Ricki - Thanks! Sedona would never make it in Alaska.  She's never even seen snow, let alone tried to live in it!

Donna - Nope, not so innocent.  And no, she didn't find the tail lying around as it was still attached to the gopher in her mouth.  Even though she's usually quite good with the "drop it" command, she would NOT drop it so Doug eventually had to pry her mouth open.  She was not giving up her prize easily!!  :(

Thanks, Nancy.  Hope this is her last gopher encounter!

Laurie - Thanks!  Glad I've inspired you to read the book.  You can have fun imagining how Fudge or Vern would handle the situations Buck encounters!!

Pat - I hope Sedona stays pretty smart about her new status as a hunter.  The other night, we had an opossum on the back deck.  Sedona saw it through the French door and was itching to get out there.  Needless-to-say, we kept her doggie door closed that night!!!

Lonnie - Music to a teacher's ears: "Now you have me wanting to read the book!"  Hope you read it and enjoy!

Lori - Thanks!  Yea for squeaky balls!

Thanks, Bonnie!  Glad you enjoyed the recap.  After teaching the novel for so many years, I've had plenty of practice.  By the way, it's worse than you are imagining.  The gopher was IN her mouth, the tail was just sticking out!  Ugh!!

Jane - Thanks!!  :)

Karen - Long live the Squeaky Ball!!  Thanks!! 

  

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

LOL, Deanna, I am so glad that The Call of the Squeaky Ball won out! 

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

LOLing....I love this!!!!

[Bonnie and Kona]

OMD Deanna! I don't know how I missed this blog! Thank you for starting out my day so wonderfully. Your recap of Call of the Wild was delightful! Having met your beautiful Sedona I sincerely hope the Call of the Squeaky Ball prevails! I cannot imagine her with the gopher tail in her mouth. EWWWWW!

[Lori, Quincy & Frankie]

Well done Deanna!  The Call of the Squeaky Ball will live on!  

[Lonnie & Libby Lu]

Love this Deanna and lets hope the squeaky ball has more power then the Gopher!   Sedona is so cute!  Now you have me wanting to read the book!  Thanks for the great blog:)