If Sam had her say, she'd take her baths in a spot like this one. I just know her type. Instead, in between formal groomings, Sam is bathed at the local pet store where there is a pubic bathing room for dogs. It costs a few bucks but it's worth it. Big stalls, plenty of … Continue reading Your Bath is Drawn, Your Highness →

My memoir, Walks with Sam: A Man, a Dog, and a Season of Awakening is scheduled for release in late summer of 2020. But the pre-orders are now up and running! The publisher, Roundfire Books, sees a chance to begin the process early, get some pub—as they say—and offer the chance for readers to secure … Continue reading Sam is Ready for Her Close-Up →

There's an old leather chair in our living room. I find myself in it most days. Mornings, maybe. Certainly evenings. It's a good chair—big arms, worn in the right places, the skin's oil has softened  and colored it over the many years. Next to that chair is another. It's a relatively new chair. Cloth. A … Continue reading Favorite Places →

Sam and I take the afternoon and drive to my son's place, about 40 minutes north and west. She has her head out of the window, despite the speed and the chill. She's happy. I'm certain she knows where we are headed. My son and his wife have two dogs, a golden doodle and a … Continue reading What’s THAT all about? →

Sam is not happy. Oh, she's looks comfortable. And don't get her wrong, she loves a walk in the crisp autumn woods, a brisk dance around the neighborhood. But here in the Chicago suburbs, the temperatures have dipped some 10-15 degrees below normals for this time of year. There's already been some snow. We've had … Continue reading How Many More Months of This? →

We left our home just after sunrise and headed south. One-and-a-half hours later we were on a trail at Matthiessen State Park near Utica, Illinois. Brilliant colors, waterfalls, a raging river, and the earthy smell of dampness in the woods. My wife, my dog, and an autumn morning, Sam holding her own, walking some four-and-a-half … Continue reading Autumnal Morning →

My new dog blog friends apparently do a "Wordless Wednesday" post. One photo, no words. I'm just now catching on. So, here's my "Wordless Wednesday" photo on a Thursday.

We are a year away from its official publication, but the stage is set. Walks with Sam: A Man, a Dog, and a Season of Awakening (John Hunt Publishing/Roundfire, UK) will be out in late summer 2020. I'm not only pleased with this book, I am thrilled with the artwork and design, including the image … Continue reading Sam’s Uncanny Image →

My writing friend L.B. Johnson, author of The Book of Barkley, was so kind to read an early manuscript for my forthcoming memoir, Walks with Sam. Her comments became a blurb for the book due out in late summer of 2020 from John Hunt Publishing, UK. During that process, she also turned me on to … Continue reading Here’s a Treat: The Best Dog Blogs →

Sam went to a sleepover the other night. It was far more nerve-wracking for her owners. My wife and I were heading out to the Galena, Illinois area—a three-hour drive from our home in suburban Chicago—for a friend's hog roast. We had plans to stay over one night. It would have been too much to … Continue reading Sam’s Sleepover →