Windsor Plywood French Creek: The PULSE Community Podcast is brought to you in part by Windsor Plywood in French Creek, specializing in hard-to-source interior and exterior home finishing products, including flooring, doors and mouldings, and exterior project materials such as yellow cedar. Windsor Plywood French Creek carries high-quality, responsibly sourced products and is committed to providing outstanding value and personalized one-on-one service to all of our customers: homeowners, do-it-yourselfers, renovators, builders, designers, craftsmen, and contractors. Regardless of the type or size of your project, Windsor can help you bring your vision to life from start to finish. Let Windsor Plywood in French Creek help you with your renovation, new build, or building project. Visit them online or call 752-3122.

The Ballad of Peter & Gracie: Peter and his dog raced here and there, through fields so wide, with dreams in their pockets and stars as their guide. Every day's an adventure under the open sky. In their world of stories, time just flies by.

Peter McCully: Peter woke up earlier than usual on Saturday morning. Today was a very important day. It was Gracie's birthday. Well, sort of. Peter's family didn't know exactly when Gracie was born because she had been adopted from the animal shelter two years ago, but they had picked today as Gracie's special celebration day.

Peter bounced out of bed and hurried downstairs. Gracie was already awake, lying in her favourite spot near the kitchen window where the morning sun streamed in. Her white fluffy fur glowed golden in the sunlight. "Happy birthday, Gracie!" Peter exclaimed, dropping to his knees to hug his best friend. Gracie's tail began to wag immediately.

She licked Peter's face and made happy little sounds. Even though she didn't understand what a birthday was, all she knew was that Peter was excited, and that made her excited. "Someone's happy this morning," Peter's mum said, coming into the kitchen with a smile. "I wonder if Gracie knows today is her special day."

"I think she does," Peter said confidently. "Look how happy she is." His dad came downstairs carrying a small wrapped package. "Well, she's about to be even happier. Should we give her the birthday present now or after breakfast?" "Now! Now!" Peter said eagerly. Peter's dad set the package on the floor. Gracie sniffed it curiously, her nose working overtime to figure out what was inside.

Peter helped her tear the wrapping paper off, and inside was a new squeaky toy shaped like a seal—perfect for a Vancouver Island dog. Gracie grabbed the toy immediately and squeaked it three times. Her tail wagged so hard her whole body wiggled. She pranced around the kitchen, squeaking her new toy and looking incredibly pleased with herself.

"She loves it!" Peter laughed. "How old is Gracie today?" Peter's mum asked as she started making pancakes, a special birthday breakfast for everyone. Peter had to think about this. "Well, the shelter said she was about three years old when we got her two years ago. So that means she's five now, right?" "That's right," his dad said. "Five years old in people years." "What do you mean, people years?" Peter asked. His mum flipped a pancake. "Well, dogs age differently than people do."

Peter sat down at the table, fascinated. Gracie came and sat beside him, her new seal toy in her mouth. "Tell me more."

"Well," his dad explained, "when dogs are very young, they age very quickly. By the time a dog is two years old, that's about 15 in human years."

"Wow, that's fast," Peter said. "After that, each year is like adding about seven human years," his mum added. "So Gracie, at five dog years, is probably around 35 years old in human years." Peter looked at Gracie with wonder. "You're 35? You're older than Mum and Dad!" His parents laughed. "Well, not quite," Dad said. "But Gracie is definitely a grown-up dog. She's not a puppy anymore, even though she still acts playful sometimes." Peter thought about this. He tried to imagine Gracie as a grown-up person, like a teacher or a librarian. It was hard to picture, but it made him realize something important. "So Gracie won't live as long as people do?" Peter asked quietly. His mum came over and sat beside him, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"That's true, sweetheart. Dogs typically live between 10 and 15 years, depending on their breed and how healthy they are. American Eskimos like Gracie usually live about 12 to 15 years." Peter felt a small lump in his throat. He didn't like thinking about Gracie not being around someday. His dad noticed Peter's expression. "That's exactly why days like today are so important, Peter. We celebrate Gracie and show her how much we love her because every day with our pets is special. We don't take any of them for granted." "Like making memories?" Peter asked. "Exactly like making memories," his mum said. "And making sure Gracie knows every single day how loved she is." Peter hugged Gracie tightly. She dropped her toy and licked his ear, which always made him giggle. After breakfast, Peter had a big plan for Gracie's birthday. He'd been thinking about it all week.

"Can we do something really special for Gracie today? Not just presents, but like an adventure." "What did you have in mind?" his dad asked. "Well, Gracie loves the beach and she loves playing and she loves treats. What if we took her to Rathtrevor Beach for the whole morning and then came home for a special birthday lunch?"

His parents exchanged smiles. "I think that sounds perfect," his mum said. An hour later, they were pulling into the parking lot at Rathtrevor Beach. Gracie knew exactly where they were. She'd been there many times before, but never had the whole morning just for her. She pressed her nose against the car window, her tail wagging with anticipation. The beach was beautiful, and the tide was out—kilometres of sand stretching before them. The morning sun sparkled on the wet sand, and seagulls called overhead. Peter could see the mountains across the Strait of Georgia in the distance. As soon as Peter opened the car door, Gracie bounded out, her leash trailing behind her.

Peter grabbed it and started running with her across the sand. Gracie was in heaven—running, sniffing, exploring every interesting smell that the beach had to offer. "Look how happy she is," Peter's mum said, taking pictures with her phone. They walked along the beach, letting Gracie set the pace. She would run ahead and then circle back to make sure her family was following. She chased seagulls, though she never caught them. She splashed through the shallow tide pools, and she found a piece of driftwood that Peter threw for her at least 20 times. Peter noticed an older couple walking their small terrier.

The dogs sniffed each other politely while the couples stopped to chat. "Beautiful American Eskimo," the woman said, smiling at Gracie. "How old?" "She's five today," Peter announced proudly. "It's her birthday." "Well, happy birthday, sweetie," the woman said to Gracie, who wagged her tail appreciatively. "Our little Murphy just turned 12. He's slowing down a bit now, but he still loves his walk on the beach." As the couple walked away, Peter watched Gracie racing across the sand, her white fur flowing behind her like a cloud, and he felt very grateful for every single day he got to spend with her. They found a quiet spot near some driftwood logs and sat down for a snack.

Peter's mum had packed special dog-safe treats that she'd made just for Gracie—little biscuits shaped like bones with peanut butter and banana. "These are special birthday treats," Peter told Gracie seriously. "Mum made them just for you." Gracie sat perfectly, her eyes locked on the treat in Peter's hand. When he gave her the signal, she gently took it and munched happily. Peter gave her three more, one at a time, making each one a little celebration. "You know what I love about Gracie?" Peter said to his parents. "She's always happy. She doesn't need fancy things or lots of stuff. She just wants to be with us and go on adventures." His dad nodded. "That's one of the things that dogs teach us. They live in the moment. They don't worry about yesterday or tomorrow. They're just happy to be here right now, enjoying the walk with their favourite people." "I want to be more like that," Peter said. They spent another hour at the beach before heading home.

Gracie was tired but content, her fur sandy and her tongue hanging out in a happy dog smile. Back home, Peter had one more surprise planned. While his mum prepared lunch, Peter disappeared into his room. He came out carrying a large piece of paper covered in drawings. "I made Gracie a birthday card," he announced. "Look!" The card showed pictures of Peter and Gracie doing all their favourite things together: walking on the beach, playing in the backyard, reading books on the couch, and even the time they'd seen the goats on the roof in Coombs.

"Peter worked hard on it all week." "This is beautiful, Peter," his mum said, examining the detailed drawings. "Should we tape it up where Gracie can see it?" "Dogs can't really read," Peter said, "but I can read it to her." He sat down next to Gracie, who was resting on her bed, and read the card out loud.

"Dear Gracie, happy birthday. You are the best dog in the whole world. Thank you for being my best friend. Thank you for going on adventures with me. Thank you for keeping me company when I'm sad and for playing with me when I'm happy. Thank you for teaching me to be a good pet owner. I promise to always take care of you and love you forever. You make every day better just by being you. Love, Peter." Gracie's tail thumped softly on her bed. She might not have understood the words, but she understood the love in Peter's voice. Peter's mum brought out lunch—sandwiches for the humans and a special meal for Gracie with her favourite foods mixed together.

They sang "Happy Birthday" to Gracie, who tilted her head at the strange singing but wagged her tail anyway. After lunch, the whole family settled into the living room. Gracie was definitely tired from her beach adventure. She climbed onto the couch next to Peter and rested her head on his lap. "You know what?" Peter said, gently stroking Gracie's soft fur. "I'm glad we celebrate Gracie's birthday. Even though we don't know her real birthday, it gives us a special day to show her how much we love her."

"That's very wise, Peter," his dad said. "A lot of shelter animals don't know their birthdays, but that doesn't mean they don't deserve to be celebrated." "I think every pet should have a birthday," Peter declared. "Even if you have to pick a day and pretend, everyone should feel special at least once a year."

His mum smiled. "You have a kind heart, Peter. Gracie is lucky to have you." "I'm lucky to have her," Peter said quietly. "It's not about the treats or the toys. It's about being together and making memories. That's what birthdays are really about, right? Celebrating someone and making them feel loved." "When did you get so smart?" his mum asked, ruffling his hair. "Gracie taught me," Peter said. "She shows me every day how to be happy with simple things and how to love people—I mean, how to love your family no matter what." As the afternoon turned to evening, Gracie woke up from her nap. She stretched and yawned and looked at Peter with her bright, intelligent eyes.

Her tail started wagging again, not because anything exciting was happening, but simply because she was happy to see her favourite person in the world. Peter hugged her close. "Happy birthday, Gracie," he whispered. "Thank you for being you." And in that moment, Peter understood something important. Every day with the ones you love is a gift, whether they're people or pets, family or friends. What matters most is showing them that they're special, not just on birthdays, but every single day. Gracie licked Peter's cheek and grabbed her new seal toy, ready for another round of play. And Peter, who was seven years old in people years but felt much older and wiser after today, was ready to play too, because that's what birthdays are really about: celebrating love, creating joy, and making memories that would last forever.

The Ballad of Peter and Gracie: Peter and Gracie, the finest of friends, with tales of wonder that never end. In the pages of books or stars above, they find their magic in laughter and love.

Windsor Plywood French Creek: The PULSE Community Podcast is brought to you in part by Windsor Plywood in French Creek, specializing in hard-to-source interior and exterior home finishing products, including flooring, doors and mouldings, and exterior project materials such as yellow cedar. Windsor Plywood French Creek carries high-quality, responsibly sourced products and is committed to providing outstanding value and personalized one-on-one service to all of our customers: homeowners, do-it-yourselfers, renovators, builders, designers, craftsmen, and contractors. Regardless of the type or size of your project, Windsor can help you bring your vision to life from start to finish. Let Windsor Plywood in French Creek help you with your renovation, new build, or building project. Visit them online or call 752-3122.