Dogs

     They say that taking a dog for a walk is like handing a new book to a human being: a fresh world to discover. According to The Washington Post a dog hanging out only in the backyard is like reading the same book, over and over again. With my family away, I have the keys to the library; I am in charge of the reading list! 

     Walking anywhere is good for you and walking a couple of dogs makes it even better. The fact that I am getting our pooches out for a sizeable stroll at least twice a day is making a difference to how I feel physically and mentally. I was expecting the exercise to improve my physical health but did not realize how much it would help me mentally. This time of year is not my favourite; the cold and gray depresses me. My garden is winding down and sunshine is hard to find. But getting out of the house early, the earlier the better, is really making a difference. 

     And it goes without saying: the dogs love it. Now that I know that every walk is a new book, I am challenging myself to take them on a different walk every single time. At this point I can say that I have been successful but of course there will come a day when we will run out of new options. Eventually though the old trails will smell a little differently. And by then I’m hoping that they won’t remember that they’ve already read this one.