Midcoast author David Rosenfelt has written 40 books. His Andy Carpenter mystery series focuses on a lawyer who runs a rescue dog foundation and solves crimes with his golden retriever. The latest in the series, “Dog Day Afternoon,” came out in July. Rosenfelt and his wife, Debbie Myers, have rescued hundreds of shelter dogs themselves over the years and have a dozen or more dogs living with them most of the time.

My perfect Maine day starts earlier than it does for most humans. Because we have 12 dogs, all of whom seem to suffer from nighttime insomnia, we are lucky if we get to sleep past 5 a.m. Included in our group are four mastiffs, two goldens, a Newfie and assorted large mutts, so just walking to the bathroom can be an adventure.

Once they’ve forced us awake, they then go back to sleep themselves until the 6 a.m. feeding. I have told them on many occasions that this behavior is annoying, but they seem unconcerned.

I try to work in the morning, but can only do so if I don’t have to take one of our crew to the vet to deal with the malady of the day. Dr. Art Charles of Medomak Veterinary Services is extraordinary at what he does, but I have to visit him and his excellent staff way more often than I’d like.

So on my perfect day, I write 10 pages of brilliant literature, which has as much chance of happening as my winning Olympic gold in the marathon. I keep meaning to train for that. …

With the pages safely saved in my computer, Debbie and I head off for lunch with friends at the wonderful King Eider’s Pub in Damariscotta. I am particularly fond of their french fries, which is another reason to put off the marathon training.

Did I mention that my perfect day is in the fall? It has to be, because that’s when the NFL season takes place. So with lunch behind me, I head home to watch my New York Giants win by four touchdowns. To describe the likelihood of that, I refer you to my marathon gold medal. But we’re talking about my perfect day, which includes the Giants as Super Bowl favorites.

King Eider’s Pub in Damariscotta is a festive place to spend part of a perfect day. Derek Davis/Staff Photographer

So I watch the NFL from one 1-7 p.m., during which time my exercise consists of working the remote control, screaming at the television and walking to the refrigerator. It’s exhausting, but somebody has to do it. Oh, and we try to get the evening feeding in at halftime of the late game, which can be a bit hectic.

That leaves me an hour and a half until the night game. It’s a welcome respite and gives me time for dinner before the next kickoff. I also take time to reflect on how lucky I am that Debbie puts up with this nonsense for the entire four-month season.

I try and stay up for the late game, though I am aware that if I see it to conclusion, I will wind up with just five hours sleep. The dogs are unforgiving when it comes to that … even on the most perfect of days.

Author David Rosenfelt gives out treats to some his dogs in 2019. Brianna Soukup/Staff Photographer