Sleeping in the Sun

 by Trisha Leone

There was a house on Cottonwood Pass. It was on a picturesque ranch called Peaceful Valley and looked like it came right out of a storybook. All the buildings were painted red with white trim. It was a two-story house with wood-plank carpet that was perfect for driving toy trucks on, a tricycle too. Those were magical years—of learning how to walk and talk, and how to ride a bike. We went to story hour at the library and brought home piles of books. You played T-ball In pinstriped baseball pants with grass-stained knees. You bounced on the trampoline. We didn’t get TV reception, but your great-grandmother in California sent boxes of videotapes with old Jerry Lewis movies and episodes of the Andy Griffith Show. In the summer, you and your brother would haul your Tonka trucks across the dirt road to an old dump with big piles of dirt—perfect for building roads.

We had a yellow lab named Barney, who went everywhere with you. His name came from Barney Fife. He’d sleep in the sun while you played the hours away. He chased rabbits through the sagebrush. I don’t recall if he ever caught one, but he made a high pitched bark when he was in hot pursuit. You sounded out the words and read him your favorite books. He was your audience and co-conspirator. He played the good guy and the bad guy. He patiently let you rope him, and was the first to find you in games of hide and seek. He was your pillow and napped alongside you with a green blanket stretched over the two of you. Whether you noticed or not, he was always close by, keeping an eye out. He was a boy’s best friend, and you both grew another year older, side by side. 

Song lyrics

Sleeping in the Sun

by Trisha Leone

On a dirt road two miles out of town                                                            

There’s an old farmhouse that’s still around                                                    

Sage covered hills, under skies so blue                                                                

A lab named Barney raised a boy or two   

He slept with one eye opened, kept an eye on you                                        

When you were sad he knew just what to do                                                    

You called him Barney Fife, from the Andy Griffith show                                    

He was the best friend a boy could ever know

There’s a rabbit on the run, the chase has just begun                                      

He’s getting closer and closer to the catch                                                        

We watched and we laughed and he taught us how to live                                

Run as fast as you can and have a little fun                                                      

Then spend some time sleeping in the sun 

When you learned to walk, he kept you steady                                                    

You held on tight until you were ready                                                          

When you took the training wheels off your bike                                                

He followed you until you got it right 

We all need someone to listen, and he always had the time                  

Sometimes a one-way conversation, can help to clear your mind                  

And even now I wonder who raised who                                                            

But I guess that’s just between the two of you