Evening Walk

Dog has started to expect me to go for a walk with him.

This evening he was all ansy and dancey. 

I didn't want to go for a walk––I'd been out and about half the day––but I knew that's what he wanted. The minute I said, "Do you want to go for a walk?" the joy on his face made me glad. 

The lake is only three blocks away, and it was a soft evening. The gingko trees had dropped their golden fan-shaped leaves all over the sidewalk, and the evening lake was lavender.

I know Dog would like a much longer walk, but after only a 25-minute walk, he came home and conked out on the couch next to me.

Dog has a decent backyard to run around in, but I think he's bored. Smelling is his social media--he needs to sniff new smells. 

And I benefit from getting out too.
At the lake we stopped to say hello to a Yorkie. The owner was a friendly middle-aged white guy in a Vikings cap. He said his dog's name was Tyson.

"Like the chicken?" I said.

"No," he said, "the boxer."

"Oh, a tough guy." I said. "Terriers are tough."

"That's right!" he said. "He's very territorial--better not come onto his property." 

So. Two middle-aged white people with dogs named after black performers.... Creepy. At least "Prince" is a normal name for a dog. It's #194 on this list of popular dog names of 2019.

Most of the houses in this neighborhood are single-family bungalows, like the one I live in. People decorate their yards for Halloween.

In my old neighborhood had many more apartment buildings, so people didn't have individual yards to decorate, and anyway, portable decorations were likely to be stolen.