Walking from New Canaan Library to Forest Street Deli on Thursday, I came across this family, with friends, sitting on a bench on Main Street near East Avenue.
Back row, L-R: Gabi Ewen, 10, of Seattle, Chloe Oyekanmi, 8, second-grader at South School, Angela Oyekanmi, Jaden Oyekanmi, 8, also a second-grader at South (twins), Jacob Kozar, 7, second-grader at West School. From row: Maiah Oyekanmi, 10, South School fourth-grader, Sky Oyekanmi.
Transplants from Seattle who have settled into New Canaan, the Oyekanmi kids—10-year-old Maiah, a South School fourth-grader, twins Chloe and Jaden Oyekanmi, 8, second-graders at South, and mom Angela—were joined by family friends Jacob Kozar of New Canaan, 7, a West School second-grader (who knows what retrievers are all about), and Gabi Ewen, 10, visiting from Seattle.
I asked about their lovely white golden retriever, whose name turned out to be Sky, and discovered the family dog has a weakness shared by many.
Here’s my chat with Angela.
New Canaanite: What’s her [the dog’s] name?
Angela Oyekanmi: Sky.
S-K-Y-E?
S-K-Y.
And how old is she?
She’s almost a year.
You guys live in town?
Yes.
Sky Oyekanmi
Tell me a little bit about her. Where did you get her from?
We got her from Darien and she’s a white golden, and she’s just the best pup.
Tell me a little about her personality.
She’s very, very mellow, very gentle. Takes a lot from the kids, she’s very patient.
How many kids does she take a lot from?
Three.
Three kids at home. And what does she like to do in town? Where are her favorite places to go?
She likes to go to get ice cream with us at Baskin-Robbins.
What’s her favorite flavor? And I should tell you, too, that New Canaan’s favorite flavor—I have a good source on this—is mint chocolate chip. For humans, I mean.
What do you guys think? Let’s make it up. (Maiah suggests “chocolate.”) No, she can’t have chocolate. How about cotton candy?
OK we’ll make it up with cotton candy.
Tell me about her food. What brand and what food is she on?
She’s on a natural kibble. I can’t remember the name.
Where do you get it from?
Pet Supply in Norwalk.
Is this your first family dog?
Yes.
What made you get a dog?
We moved from Seattle and we needed to take the edge off, and it was a bribe, basically, but—
—A bribe for the kids.
A bribe for the kids. But we’ve always wanted a dog, and she’s the perfect first dog.