Sam stands before the door watching every move. From inside the house under the light in the hallway, she studies me as I gather firewood from behind the writing shed and old newspaper from the garage, and arrange them in the fire pit. It takes several matches and some adjustments of the kindling before the … Continue reading Walk #31: And Now We Rest →

“We just left you here, all by yourself, didn’t we, Sam?” Leslie and I had returned from a hike at The Morton Arboretum, a 1,700-acre museum of trees not far from home. We had walked over three miles through fields of enormous oaks, strands of tall pines, and along trails lined with leafy plants now … Continue reading Walk #30: Talk to Me →

I’m sitting at my kitchen counter answering previously ignored emails and knocking out a few house chores. Dishes left in the sink overnight have been washed and the bed made. I’ve put away shirts that had been hanging up in the laundry room for days and I’m tending to a large pile of books once … Continue reading Walk #29: Jealousy →

There are no streetlights lining the roads of our neighborhood. The only light is at the top of the tall pole at each intersection. So when Sam and I step out for our walk a couple of hours after sunset, most of the street is dark, illuminated only by the entranceway lanterns of silent homes … Continue reading Walk #28: Night →

September is made for poetry and song. It’s a melancholy month, tender in many ways, a time for beginnings and endings—the start of new school days and the end of summer’s promises. There are shadows of this in the face of a young girl waiting at the corner just around the block from my home. … Continue reading Walk #27: September Song →

Afternoon naps are always hard. I’m up at 3 a.m. on Saturdays for my radio work, and when I come home it’s tough to not allow myself time with my head on a pillow. Still, the result is seldom as I would like. The naps, although always needed, are rarely restorative and today my body … Continue reading Walk #26: The Seasons of Change →

Sam is quite the creature, certainly unlike most dogs I know, maybe unlike any animal I know—a sleek body, built for running, long elegant legs, but what stands out the most and is more striking than anything else are those astonishing eyes, big and round; the deep color of the irises and the porcelain white … Continue reading Walk #25: It’s in the Eyes →