On Boots and Dogs

These are the rules I follow for getting my next dog. I learned them growing up, and I like to follow the old ways.

I go to the Humane Society, when I'm ready for the next dog in my life. I think I'm going to find a little dog - and I get a medium-sized one (or vice versa). But there's always one dog there, whose pretty clear I'm for her (or him when I was sure I was going to get another her ). That must be the reason I decided to stop in there that day of all days. I know my dog when I see her, because she's waiting for me.

So the dog comes home and gets used to the household and one night we decide to take a walk after supper. Just an occasional walk would be nice. And the next night, after supper, we settle down and in trots the dog with an expectant look. So, guess what? It's time for the-after-supper-dog-walk.

From now on until that dog goes to the happy hunting grounds in fifteen years, we will go on the-after-supper-dog-walk. Because that's our job. It might be raining. We might be sick. But if we can walk, we will go. And maybe we'll even find that we kind of like the pattern. It's a lot better than doing dishes right away. My husband and I get to discuss any little items that have come up during the day. And supper starts to digest. One day we may even carry her on the walk or help him down over the steps. It will still be important to her to go and we'll go.

Saturday morning, I went out to the garage to put something away and heard my hiking boots crying in the corner. So I put them on and went up to hike at Pulgas Ridge.

The next day we spent cleaning out the garage. Back in the corner my boots were doing a two-step. By the time the garage was clean (or as clean as it's gonna be this time around), there was a great clattering in the corner. It was clear that my hiking boots are not unlike dogs. Or perhaps mine, have learned something from being around dogs. We both put on our boots and headed up for the nice long hike to Windy Hill.

Thanks again to all those people who fought to make the San Francisco,Bay Area Mid-Penninsula Regional Open Space trail system happen.