While out walking my dog in the rain on his afternoon rounds, he stopped to sniff at something, probably some less-responsible owner's dog poo. And he sniffed. And he sniffed. And he sniffed.
And after a while, I got antsy, started to pull him away to continue our walk ... but then I stopped. A sense of peace that I haven't felt in recent memory came over me -- I was in no rush. All major obligations out of the way. All project- and job-hunting phone calls and emails out of the way. No fulltime job eating away at 30% or more of my day to get in the way of simply taking my time to sniff the ... well, whatever it was.
That realization was refreshing. Maybe almost Zen. I could feel a layer of burnt-outedness peel itself away from me, a burden off my shoulders, a weight off my back. I stood up straighter at that moment.
Sniff that poo, buddy, sniff that poo. I got all the time in the world.
Showing posts with label dogs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dogs. Show all posts
Thursday, May 28
Wednesday, April 9
Dog parks
The world needs more off-leash dog parks.
Specifically, I wish my town (Latham) had a dog park. Or that there was at least one within 10-15 minutes driving distance, that didn't require residence in a specific town.
As an apartment dweller with a 77-pound dog, I yearn for the day when I have a house and a yard. But even then, dogs need more exercise, and certainly more socialization, than most homes' yards can provide.
The Post-Mortem of Glens Falls, NY, essentially where I grew up, is running its second article in recent memory on a Queensbury dog park initiative.
As usual, you've got your normal mix of cranks and generally cantankerous sorts commenting on the article. I do see some validity to the arguments of those who simply don't want to pay the costs -- and, low as they may be, there are certainly costs associated with owning an operating a dog park. Land, maintenance, insurance, cleanup and enforcement all come to mind.
I wonder if dog parks could be run on a co-op basis? I wish I had more time to look into something like this further. I'd happily contribute, say, $25/year in order to have a nearby dog park for my pupster to run around and socialize in.
Specifically, I wish my town (Latham) had a dog park. Or that there was at least one within 10-15 minutes driving distance, that didn't require residence in a specific town.
As an apartment dweller with a 77-pound dog, I yearn for the day when I have a house and a yard. But even then, dogs need more exercise, and certainly more socialization, than most homes' yards can provide.
The Post-Mortem of Glens Falls, NY, essentially where I grew up, is running its second article in recent memory on a Queensbury dog park initiative.
As usual, you've got your normal mix of cranks and generally cantankerous sorts commenting on the article. I do see some validity to the arguments of those who simply don't want to pay the costs -- and, low as they may be, there are certainly costs associated with owning an operating a dog park. Land, maintenance, insurance, cleanup and enforcement all come to mind.
I wonder if dog parks could be run on a co-op basis? I wish I had more time to look into something like this further. I'd happily contribute, say, $25/year in order to have a nearby dog park for my pupster to run around and socialize in.
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