Walking is required for good health; a dog makes that walk enjoyable, and a must twice a day. 

“Walk?” Is all that’s needed and the dog’s ears pop up, his body jumps up, and his tail wags a “Ready! Let’s go!”

Happiness is a walk with the dog; I get excercize and mediation, and the dog checks her messages — you know, all the smells left by everyone else within 30 feet of the human’s path, as you can see in the map above of dog walking.

Always alert to any new message, that nose to the ground sniffs every possible inch where that message came from to determine exactly who was where when. At least, that’s what I suppose. 

I miss those walks.

While reorganizing during my retirement, I found this note from a granddaughter to Grampa:

The note was written on an old typewriter the grandkids loved; a favorite way get a message out.

Our grandkids miss that little white dog too. At the lake, she would swim with them, and even pulled them around while they held her tail. Precious. A walk with Pooka and Grandpa to the bat cave was a summer favorite. The cave was an old railroad tunnel, now fenced off, up the road from us; bats live there now, and the grandkids love that!

[sigh]

Wherever kids were; so was Pooka: playing, watching, protecting gently with her kind eyes.

[sigh]

Now, go pet and hug your creatures– thank them for the memories and love they’ve given you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Patient.

Sprawled out

Across the floor,

Bored.

Tail

Flops once

And eyes watch

Hoping.

“Walk.”

Ears up, sit up,

Head turns aside,

Listening.

“Walk.”

Jump up

Tail wags

Ready.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Part of Slice of Life 2017 by The Two Writing Teachers

Part of DoodleaDay by Royan Lee— today: Graph an Idea

Doodling Song: Don’t Worry; Be Happy by Bobby McFerrin