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Most of my learning came courtesy of the streets, but I gather humans go to an actual thing called schools. I’ve heard the term before...I’m pretty sure some of the island fish go to those too. As I learn more about schools, I’m realizing there are lots of types of schools. Many of them require you to sit in buildings for long periods of time. Luckily, Elijah and Penelope are homeschooled, which means they have a lot more flexibility over how they spend their time. Being high

We have a lot of incredibly tasty treats and beverages on the island. Today, I want to teach you how to make a delicious drink we call bush tea. Bush tea comes in lots of varieties, but a favorite here in St. Croix is lemongrass tea. Recently, the nursery manager at the botanical garden taught my family how to make it fresh and even sent them home with a plethora of lemongrass after one of their volunteering days. Because lemongrass needs to be pruned regularly, it felt like

AgriFest is a long-standing island tradition, but it was a first for my humans when they attended last month. With their church so close to the fairgrounds, they headed straight over after worship on a Sunday morning. Upon arrival, they navigated a huge parking lot (well...huge for a little dog like me), grabbed their wristbands, and were on their way. From the very first step onto the grounds, they were met with a wave of music, yummy smells, and colorful artwork. It was eas

Today, Shawanda turned three years old. To celebrate, Elijah and Penelope made the kitties a birthday treat they called a Tropical Tuna Churu Cake . I don’t know exactly what that means, but I do know it smelled...important. Us dogs weren’t invited to the party—but honestly, we get it. We have a way of becoming the main event without even trying. And today? Today was about our tiny kitty feeling like the big deal she is and honoring the way she wanted to celebrate (feline onl

I know I love attention (some say it’s a little much...I say it’s just right. How could you not want me front and center all the time? I’m adorable!). But I’m a reasonable pup, so I thought it would be nice to let my cat siblings shine in the blog for once. Lately, my human sister Penelope has been making toys for the cats called enrichment puzzles. The puzzles hide food that the cats have to work to get to (everyone knows the only reliable way to get a cat to do something is

If you’re feeling hungry, I have just the place for you! I want to tell you about one of my favorite little spots to grab some grub on island. Say hello to The Bistro. This lovely café sits right next to Undercover Books (the bookstore I told you about in a previous post). Sometimes it’s hard for me to choose which I like more… bistro or books… books or bistro… I’m learning it’s best in life to move away from either/or thinking and become a both/and kind of pup. So, in the sp

My dad’s birthday was earlier this week and tonight he officially began his birthday festivities. My sister, Lunalu, guarded his gifts all week like a highly trained security detail. Sometimes it looked like she was sleeping on the job, but she insists she was simply in a state of deep, meditative focus.   Tonight was finally the night to open the gifts! Although that sounds exciting, I do need to report some sad news. Despite my obvious qualifications and demonstrated enthus

As an island pup who loves the sun and currently lives on the desert side of St. Croix, it’s a bit disorienting when it rains for three straight days and nights in the dry season. Up in Wisconsin, the seasons are obvious. Summer is hot and humid. The leaves change colors in the fall. Then the leaves disappear and interesting cold stuff accumulates on the ground in winter (my humans call it snow and tell me to stay away from it when it’s yellow). Eventually, the snow melts, th

I know I shared at length in the last post about my humans and their Opti boats. But would you believe they’ve learned to sail even more  boats than that? As a dog who spends most of his life frolicking on solid ground, I had no idea that humans have such a plethora of water vehicles. In addition to the Opti, Elijah and Penelope have learned to sail a Bic. When they came home after sailing and said, “Guess what?!? Today we learned how to sail a Bic,” I was very confused. I sa

I’ve been meaning to blog about this for a while, but with all the holiday happenings, I just didn’t get to it. Late in October, my human siblings (Elijah and Penelope) took up a new sport: sailing! I’m their biggest fan and love watching from our terrace, which overlooks the harbor where they sail. Honestly, it’s premium entertainment for a small dog with a strong appreciation for moving things and a good breeze. My sister, Lunalu, loves to watch from there too! My mom’s fav

Oh my, we’re already three weeks into the new year! It seems I’ve been so busy watching Elijah and Penelope sail that I neglected my blog. I’ll tell you all about sailing soon, but for now, I want to share about how we rang in the new year before we get any further into 2026. Like many people around the globe, we celebrated New Year’s Eve with fun festivities, an exciting midnight countdown, and spectacular fireworks. We could actually see fireworks lighting up three differen

As we close out our holiday happenings series, I want to tell you about an incredibly special adventure I took on Christmas Day. Sometimes it’s the smells, the snackies, or the activity itself that makes an adventure special. On this particular day, it felt bigger than that. Don’t get me wrong—there were some pawsome smells involved, and it was  a fun adventure. But on Christmas Day, I got to be part of something even bigger, even more profound. I got to really feel what it i

This year, we couldn’t make every Christmas event on Island, but we did make the boat parade! Well… my humans did. I didn’t go, because as a small rescue pup, I get stressed out when there are a lot of people. I’m working on that, but for now, I’m here to tell you about all the wonderful things my humans experienced. For those who don’t know, the boat parade is a spectacular event where a bunch of individually and corporately owned boats pile on the Christmas decorations and

Every time I sat down to blog, the happenings of the festival season caught up with me. I suppose even a little dog with a blog needs a break sometimes, especially in the busyness of the holidays. And my goodness, December was busy . I know we are already in 2026, so let me catch you up quickly on the end of 2025. Settle in for the first of a three-part series: Christmas Happenings, Island Style. Our series begins at an incredible place in St. Croix called the St. George Bota

Hi there, Zu Blog readers! Today I’m sharing the final chapter of my Carambola Tide Pools adventure. I’ve already told you about the strenuous journey to get there, but now I want to give you a glimpse of what it was actually like to be in the tide pools. After an intense climb in, my humans and I were ready to slow down. We knew this wasn’t a place to rush. We wanted to be fully present with the wonder all around us. I’ll admit, the zoomies are very real for me. I’m a dog wh

If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you know I’m a pretty confident pup. But that doesn’t mean I don’t still get scared. It’s true, what sometimes comes across as an overinflated ego might have a little fear running underneath it. The reality is, I’m not a large dude. If you’ve explored our beautiful island, you’ll notice there are more big dogs roaming the streets than little ones. It’s a challenge for a small, unhoused pup to make it out there alongside the bigger

After a long car ride to the west end of St. Croix, we were more than ready to hike! The journey to the tide pools started with some uphill climbing—but don’t worry, uphill comes with rewards. When we were up high, there were plenty of spots to stop, breathe, and feel the breeze ruffling through my handsome fur. Since I’m a small but mighty dude, my human dad even lifted me up a few times so I could enjoy the views. (Perks of being adorable.) But don’t let the uphill scare yo

It’s time to address the Shawanda in the room. It’s official, my cat sister hacked Zu Blog. I let my guard down for one second and there she was, paws flying across the keyboard like she owned the place. I guess this is my reminder to pawsword  protect all devices. Don’t worry, I’ve got my eye on her now and hope this kind of feline takeover won’t happen again. I’ll be back in the days to come with a three-part series on the Carambola Tide Pools. But for now, I’ll keep my hea

CAT TAKEOVER: A Message from Her Royal Highness, Shawanda... Cats rule. Cats rule. Cats rule. Cats rule. Cats rule. Cats rule. Cats rule. Cats rule. Cats rule. Cats rule. Cats rule. Cats rule. Cats rule. Cats rule. Cats rule. Cats rule. Cats rule. Cats rule. Cats rule. Cats rule. Cats rule. Cats rule. Cats rule. Cats rule. Cats rule. Cats rule. Cats rule. Cats rule. Cats rule. Cats rule. Cats rule. Cats rule. Cats rule. Cats rule. DOGS DROOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Cat takeover

Believe it or not, there is still  more to tell you about my family’s time in Puerto Rico. After this, I’ll return to blogging about our local St. Croix adventures for a while. When my humans told me about El Viejo San Juan (or “Old San Juan,” as the English Springer Spaniels would say), it sounded too amazing not to share with my loyal readers. Old San Juan is a beautiful city filled with delicious food, captivating views, and vibrantly colored buildings. The fort I recently