monday's mulling: early morning walks

We’ve been dog-sitting our son’s 8-year-old black Lab since last Wednesday. 2021 was our last year of having a dog in the house, and while we don’t plan to own another canine, we do enjoy the time with our temporary houseguest.

Brutus (aka B, B-Dog, B-Doggy, and Brutie) is an early riser, so our first walks of the day have been starting at 5:30 a.m. Todd and I take turns walking him around the neighborhood. Sometimes we simply go down the street and back; other times our walks last a little longer. We’ve also managed to avoid rainy day outings when precipitation was in the forecast.

I’ve really enjoyed these early morning walks. Brutus is a very sniffy dog, so I let him take his time exploring whatever scent has captured his attention. A dog’s sense of smell is remarkable. Years ago, when I took one of my dogs to the vet, I commented on how much he sniffed. The vet explained the difference between a dog’s nose and a human’s with this analogy: while a person might walk into a room and smell a pot of vegetable soup, a dog can smell the individual ingredients, the carrots, the broth, the salt, and the spices.

At this early hour, the birds are beginning to wake up, too. At first, only a few chirp their morning greetings, but by the end of our walk, the neighborhood is filled with a symphony of birdsong.

For me, it’s a peaceful way to begin the day: walking gently through a world that is just waking up, myself included. I’m not thinking about my to-do list. It’s simply one foot in front of the other, letting B-Dog do his dog things: stopping to pee, stopping to poop (I carry poop bags and, in fact, keep a supply at home), and sniff, sniff, sniff.

Good morning, world, and Happy Monday!