One day on a walk, I looked ahead and saw a rust-colored face peering back at me. At a distance, and only seeing the head, I thought it was Wally. So I called to him and began talking to him. As I got closer I realized it was a fox looking back at me, probably...
Why do my dogs think they need to roll in manure or decaying animal carcass? What can they be thinking? Is there something therapeutic in the oils of a decaying animal? I don’t have a good answer. But neither do I have an answer for why I "roll in the stink" of my own...
I was walking the dogs one day when I noticed them making a commotion ahead of me. I thought they had something trapped. The closer I got, I realized they had cornered a decoy turkey. They were circling and barking at the decoy, thinking it would try to run or fly...
On days when it’s raining heavily, or in the winter if there is a bad snowstorm, it’s very hard to say to Wally, "No, we are not going on a walk today." Wally does not understand why we can’t go on a walk, and he continues to pester me until I say emphatically "no."...
If I get angry while I am walking and whack my stick across a log or rock, it breaks. I’m not sure what I am trying to prove, and usually it’s not very important. And what have I accomplished? Nothing. I have ruined a perfectly good walking stick. Anger is a scary...
Last week I wrote about the importance if having a walking stick while I walked my dogs. It is just as important to have the right walking stick. Selecting the right walking stick takes a process. Some are too long, too short, too rough, too crooked, or not strong...
As I walk through the woods with the dogs, there are roots and stones over which I can stumble and lose my balance. It is a great advantage to have a walking stick because it helps me keep my balance. It also helps to clear the path, break through spider webs, and...
Since Charlie is chained up all day, it becomes quite a production when I release him to go on our walks. Upon his release, Charlie and Wally take off like they have been shot from a cannon. You do not want to be in their path that goes directly to the bridge leading...
Charlie and Wally have access to streams for refreshing drinks of water. They don’t stand on the edge and lap up the water—they dive in. If the water is not too deep, they lay down in it and drink without even lowering their heads. (Stand back when they come out...
On our return trip from the forgiveness tree is a fork in the road. There is a high road and a low road. I usually take the low road because it is easier. Because of this choice, this place has become a meeting place for me and the dogs. They wait here to see what I...
Charlie is our outside watchdog. When we are not on our walks, he is chained for his own safety. When we return from our walks it is hard to hook him back up again. His free time seems too short, and there’s always more he wants to do. Eventually he submits and is...
The roads in our woods are typical—there are rocks and roots to stumble over. Sometimes they are in plain sight, and other times they are covered in leaves or snow. I do a couple of things to keep from stumbling. First, I pay attention. Second, I use a walking stick....