It's snowing outside Chicago. Some of it sticking, but not staying long. It's fleeting. Gray. Chilly. And temporary. Temporary like autumn. Cold like the November air. And it is close. It's right . . . over . . .there. The heavy breath of winter can be felt on the back of the neck, and even … Continue reading Closing in. Not closing down. →

Sam's book is officially out on September 1, 2020. Come celebrate on Zoom. In these unusual times, you have to consider unusual ways to launch a book. So, on September 13 at 6:30pm, CT, Sam is having a big Zoom party and broadcasting live on Instagram. We will officially launch Walks with Sam, and we … Continue reading Bring Your Pet to the Book Launch →

A few days ago, my wife and I—masked up and social distancing—strolled into a wonderful bookshop in a small river town in the far west suburbs of Chicago. It was our little respite under the current conditions, a safe getaway with plenty of hand sanitizer to go around. Harvey's Tales in Geneva, Illinois is named … Continue reading Reading to Sam →

It's Sam's birthday today. She's 4. Happy day, Sam. But, you are much older than I thought. Leslie and Sam New studies show that we have been calculating dog-years all wrong all this time. That one-year-equals-seven is not correct. Far too simple, it seems. A new study from the University of California San Diego School of Medicine published … Continue reading Happy . . . 53rd?!! →

We are two months away from the release of my latest book, Walk with Sam: A Man, a Dog, and a Season of Awakening. Early reviews from Publisher's Weekly and NetGalley have been more than positive. That's so nice to see and, yes, I am thrilled, but Sam . . . well . . . … Continue reading The Excitement is Far Too Much →

As many of us have come to find out, working from home is not as simple or as appealing as we first believed it would be. We can drop in some laundry, do some gardening, take morning coffee on the deck, go off on a midday neighborhood walk. But the reality is we are tethered … Continue reading Working from Home is for the Dogs →

Almost cut my hair It happened just the other day It was gettin' kind of long Could-a said it was in my way —David Crosby, "Almost Cut My Hair" David Crosby may have been more of a cat guy, at least back in the day. But today he lives in rural California and reportedly has … Continue reading Almost Cut My Hair (Oh wait, they did!) →

Raise your hand if you need a haircut. Almost everyone does. And then there is the matter of hair coloring. But I won't even get into that issue. You want more on that dilemma, ask the favorite woman in your life. But the haircut thing? We are all in this together. Certainly in the great … Continue reading Grooming, DIY Style →

There is the old adage that many pet owners look like their pets. We've all seen photos like the one below of a dog owner and their pooch who appear as if they had shared their images in the mirror before heading out together. This one was posted, oddly enough, on the Dollar Shave Club … Continue reading Who Does Your Pet Look Like? →

If your pet had a theme song, what would it be? I thought of this the other day when Sam was lounging near the entrance to the kitchen, her legs outstretched. Sam has incredibly long legs. It is as if she has no shoulders! That's when it hit me: "Long Cool Woman in a Black … Continue reading Long Cool Woman →