Adventures while walking

Because I work from home and am therefore in one place night and day, I like to escape into the surrounding neighborhood at some point during the day to see what the rest of the world is doing. Such treks are often quite educational. Plus, it is the only form of exercise this exercise-phobic person can stomach.

The other evening I happened upon Baxter, the Best Dog in the Whole World, and his mom. His mom was saying that she can't really use walking for exercise, because Baxter slows her down. As sweet as he is, the outcome of a race between Baxter and a turtle would be in some doubt.

"But I have to remember," she said, "he wasn't bred to run and fetch, or herd, or guard." She sighed. "He was bred to just sit and watch."

Baxter is my kind of dog.

Sometimes when I venture out, I am profoundly thankful to return to the sanity of my own home. Last night I took a walk by a construction site near us. The road has caved in, and supposedly -- after more than a year of delays -- they are fixing it. I saw the usual debris on such a site. A Mountain Dew can, a plastic wrapper, cigarette butts. A man's pair of jeans. A man's pair of underwear.

Sometimes, it is better not to know what the rest of the world is doing.