Category Archives: walk

bo, walk

BO?

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I must have BO (Body Odor). Either that or Molly has it. Why you ask?

When Molly and I went for our walk yesterday, we went to the park. The walking path around the park is about three quarters of a mile long, so eight laps and you have your 6 miles done. In any case, when Molly and I got to the park we ran into people and dogs galore during the first lap. We must have seen 20 or 30 people. But … by the second lap there was nary a person to be seen walking in either direction. We saw no one else for all the rest of our laps. The only explanation I can think of is that we had really bad BO or something. It must have been as bad for them as for the ladies in the armpit sniffing line below.

What do you think?

Alzheimer's Disease, walk

A Lady In The Evening

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Tonight as I was heading off for my walk, I ran into a lady I haven’t seen for a while. I went to school with her son and was a patient of her husband in my long ago school years. So I said hi and she said hi and we continued on with our lives.

But … as I walked, I found myself thinking how unfair life has been of late to her. Several years ago she waged an epic battle against cancer, a battle that most had given up on her winning. It was a close thing, but she survived, although as a fragile shell of her previous self.

After that harrowing experience, you would hope that she and her husband of more than 50 years might be able to enjoy a few of their sunset years. Just kick back and be able to watch life pass by together. It just isn’t to be. Her husband has developed progressively worse Alzheimer’s Disease. So she is now devoted to taking care of (and zealously protecting) him.

Even two years ago, he was outside and taking care of the lawn, washing the car, visiting. He drove his wife to her treatments, etc. Now he is confined to the house or he wonders off. Every day there is less of the man, father, and husband that he used to be still present. Every day is closer and closer to the horizon where he will not be able to remain at home. How unfair is that?

It brought forth memories of L’s dad journeying through the throes of Alzheimer’s Disease. I remember finding him standing in our back yard, puzzled and frustrated by his inability to open the gate. A gate secured by a simple lift latch. And him having owned and operated hardware stores for much of the time I knew him. I remember thinking then how unfair it was to him and his family, even as there was less and less of the man I knew present every day.

And so I felt great sympathy for the lady and her family.

Molly, odd question of the day, walk, weather

The Heat is On

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So much for the summer cold front. It was truly glorious while it lasted, but the reminder of fall and the coming of winter was brief. As I write, the temperature is hovering between 105 and 108 depending on which of my two shade thermometers you believe. Needless to say, tonight’s walk is going to be late in the evening and warm.

Speaking of which, I have upped my daily walking to 6 miles a day from 5. It is just enough extra that Molly gives hints that we should turn towards home every time we pass a possible turn off in that last mile. But when I say “Not yet, we still have further to go.” she takes it in stride. It hasn’t dampened her eagerness when I put on the ear buds and pick up the leash, signaling it is time to head on out.

Which segues naturally into my question of the day: which one or two out of three would you choose? Now that you are bewildered, the question comes from listening to Meatloaf’s “Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad” last night as I walked. In the ballad, the three refers to the infamous triad of “I want you. I need you. I love you.”

Aw heck, just take a quick listen, I’ll wait:

In any case, it led my mind to ponder the question(s):

  • If you only get one of the three in a relationship, which one?
  • If you only get two of the three in a relationship, which two?

I assume we all want all three in our ideal relationship, so the question is moot for the case of three. My own answers for the one and two cases are predictable to those who know me. If I only get one, make it love. If I only get two, make it love and want. But I know people who would answer differently, so what are your answers?

skunk, walk

Black Kitty?

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It is that time of year once more. The black kitty cats with the charming white stripe are back in force. Last night as Molly and I were walking, at 10:30pm when the temperature finally dropped to bearable, we had the joy of renewing our acquaintance with our fine furry friends.

We came around the corner and there were a not-so-shy pair of these fine creatures

frolicking in the grass and trees beside the path. Of course Molly desperately wanted to go make friends and I just as desperately wanted to leave the area without making introductions. I was very happy that Molly was on the leash so I could convince her to journey on without saying hello.

Another half mile down the path, we ran into a friend and his dog out walking and stopped to chat. Given the friend had undergone the joy of a fully sprayed dog a few years ago, he decided that a return to the homestead might be the better course of action for the evening. As we walked together, what should we see but another skunk scurrying across the path in front of us.

It is the season of the year to keep one’s eyes peeled. The skunks are coming out in force as grub season arrives and they go foraging. It normally might not be too bad, but this year there have already been attacks on humans and animals by rabid skunks in the region.  That means that the normally timid skunks may now charge rather than sauntering off.

The thing that amazes me is the number people who walk within feet of a skunk and think it must be a kitty cat. When you warn them that those kitty cats are skunks, they tend to look askance at you. Maybe their night vision is gone?

In any case, the real question is whether to endure the heat by walking in the light or to endure the risk of skunk by walking in the cool of the night? Which would you do?

Molly, rabies, walk, weather

Multi-topics

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Tonight’s post comes to you as a collection of disjointed ramblings. Welcome to my mind. {*grin*}

Topic 1:
After an enjoyable Easter weekend, L headed back to the mountains this morning. Of course, that meant that Molly was in a sad and inconsolable state. I thought about adding a picture, but decided to be kind to Molly.

(I lied, Molly got pictured anyway.) This evening, I convinced Molly that a walk would be a fun thing. It seems like a lot of people we knew were out and about. In the course of walking 6 miles, Molly and I saw (and walked for a bit) with at least 5 groups of people and dogs we knew. It perked Molly up a bit. I suspect that she will be back to her chipper self by tomorrow.

Topic 2:
I suspect all of us remember the music of the Bangles from the 80’s and 90’s. When they broke up, I didn’t follow any of the members solo careers. I was not even overly enthused by their reunion for the Austin Power’s soundtrack song “Get the Girl“. So I was pleasantly surprised to find this duet by former Bangles lead singer Susanna Hoffs and Matthew Sweet. Her voice has matured and she now reminds me a bit of a cross between Joni Mitchell and Janis Joplin. Enjoy.

They got together to do an album of hits from the 60’s with startlingly good results. I encourage you to dig the tracks up (The album is “Under the Covers, Vol. 1“) and take a listen.

Topic 3:
Easter was a nice day. Good conversation, good food, with mom and L’s mom and friends, and then a nice long walk in springlike weather. And the weather wasn’t quite so nice that I had to work on the yard or get started in the garden. Laziness with no guilt, what more could one ask for?

Topic 4:
Back to writing a monograph (not really, more a series of press releases and radio spots) with the enthusing working title ‘Rabies, Your Pet, and You’. There has been an outbreak of rabies in skunks and muskrats in the area in the last month that has resulted in several attacks on humans and their pets, so it is time to remind people to make sure their pet vaccinations are up to date and to avoid possibly rabid animals. Most dog owners are pretty good about staying up to date on vaccinations, but many cat lovers fail to realize that cases of rabies in cats have become more prevalent than in dogs in recent years and so fail to keep their cats vaccinated. Back to the salt mine.