Tough Cookie Set to Fly

"Daughter" #1 Getting Ready To Move On

Little Bean and Panini the Chinchilla

Hey, did you know that chinchillas have the densest fur of any mammal that lives on land? We discovered this the other day after we all went down to the Boston area to visit “daughter” number one. Tough Cookie and her boyfriend, Rebel, (trail names) live and work down there, but alas not for long. More on that in a second.

I don’t write about Tough Cookie as much as I probably should in these pages, but she’s all grown up now and has her own life to worry about. She doesn’t need me going on and on about her.

She got enough exposure back at the beginning of my writing career. My first book, The Adventures of Buffalo and Tough Cookie told our story of bonding over hiking in the White Mountains.

Well, the kids have two chinchillas - Chowder and Panini - as pets now and Little Bean adores them. Adores the chinchillas, I mean. She likes the kids as well. (They are not actually kids anymore, but I’ll go to my grave referring to them as such.)

Panini was pretty friendly, and Little Bean got to cuddle with him for a bit. Chowder was more of an anxious wreck.

I mention this visit because we’re going to try to see them as much as possible over the next few months. The two are moving to Virginia, where Rebel’s family lives. Tough Cookie is applying for pharmacy work. Pretty much anywhere in the world is cheaper than Boston and they’ll be able to save and grow in their careers down there.

I don’t have much to offer here. I’m proud of them. It’s a good call. They’ll do great.

I feel equally excited, proud and supportive, as I do crushed, depressed and, well, already, missing them. This parenting thing is exhausting and exhilarating all at once.

Meanwhile, Little Bean pulls Panini in close for a hug while Chowder gets her steps in on the tread wheel. She’ll miss them too.

“Daddy,” she asks, “how much does it cost to have a chinchilla?”

Everybody laughs. She’s scheming again. Looks like some trips to Virginia are settling into our future.

The first picture I ever took of Rebel and Tough Cookie, atop Mt. Sunapee.

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