Valerie Easton & Bridget

Who is in the photo at right?

I’m Valerie Easton, a garden columnist for the Seattle Times, blogger at "Plant Talk" and author of five books on design and gardening (the latest is Petal & Twig). I live in Seattle, and on Whidbey Island where I teach yoga in the seaside village of Langley. Bridget is a four year old, female, Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier.

What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?

Bridget and I walk for coffee every morning; I’ve never made coffee in my life. We roll out of bed and in Seattle, walk up Queen Anne hill to Café Fiore where Bridget jumps up onto an Adirondack chair outside the window so she can keep an eye on me while I order.

When we’re in Langley, we walk the few blocks into town to Useless Bay Coffee Company, and Bridget waits outside where she’s petted and made over by all the regulars…. Her special friend is Billy, who is a great dog-worshipper.

What's brewing?

Always a short double soy cappuccino.

Any treats for you or Bridget on this occasion?

Just coffee for me, and Bridget never seems to like the biscuits at the coffee shop, so I reward her with a treat for not barking when she’s left outside (I always have a supply of her favorite liver treats in my jacket pocket).

How were you and Bridget united?

Bridget is my third Wheaten; I got her from a local breeder when she was five months old.

How did Bridget get her name? Any aliases?

Bridget seemed like a good name for an Irish dog, and she is the smallest and most feminine of any of the terriers we’ve owned…so Bridget just seemed to fit. I usually call her just Bridge….

What role has Bridget played in your writing?

Writing a weekly column can be a slog, and I’d get lonesome if I didn’t have Bridget’s company. When I say “Time to go to work” she runs into my study and puts her paws up on the desk, asking for a hoist up. She always wants to lie right on the desk where I work [photo right]; my laptop and I get a little squeezed, but she’s content to lie there and keep me company for hours, looking out the window at passersby.

Does Bridget have a favorite place to go for an outing?

In Seattle, Bridget is always up for a city walk, especially to the bank where they make over her and give her a big biscuit that she loves.

In Langley, she loves to run down the alley behind our house and visit Winston, a Weimaraner that she adores (he’s old and tries to be patient with her). [photo left: Bridget hanging out in the garden at Langley]

What is your dog's best quality?

Bridget’s best quality is her faithful, loving heart.

If Bridget could change one thing about you, what would it be?

She would never let me out of her sight if it was up to her….

What is Bridget's proudest moment?

Her proudest moment is when she jumps up in the front seat of the car and rides shotgun, checking out every dog we pass. [right: Bridget's photo for the "I Ride Inside" campaign for Dogs Against Romney]

If Bridget could speak in the movie about your life, who should do her voice?

Bette Midler has the spunk of a terrier – she’d be a perfect voice over for Bridge.

If Bridget could answer on one question in English, what would you ask her?

I’d ask Bridget what she’d most like to do today and let her make our plans for a change…

Visit Valerie Easton's "Plant Talk" blog.

Writers Read: Valerie Easton.

--Marshal Zeringue