I will be your friend...
Every day - and it seems like any time of day, I see a man walking his dog.
Strangely enough there isn't often much walking going on. Rather, the dog is reclined in the grassy treelawn watching cars and the man is standing nearby loosely holding the leash.
No matter morning, noon, or evening the two of them can be seen along a pretty stretch of our street near the woods. I was surprised one day recently to see them on the opposite side of the street, on the bike path, actually walking. The dog was sniffing the well groomed planters along the path.
The man always has on nice clothes. The dog looks absolutely royal. I imagine him (the dog) to be some sort of descendant from some great Japanese Emporer's dog. We first noticed them a few months ago - and our first thoughts were about how regal the dog was.
Seeing them daily - usually many times daily - we began to speculate that there was more to this than simply 'taking a walk'. I suggested that the man was recovering from surgery - and was perhaps a widower. The dog was helping him get out and back into health.
Each day we see them we think about the story of why they are there (since really, there isn't much "walking" going on). The man never smiles. He appears to be in distant thought.
About a week ago we saw the man and not the dog. He was holding a bag, so I thought he was out retrieving the dog's waste (as dog walkers are in the habit of doing around here thankfully).
I saw the man very early this morning. Again, alone.
He had a bag again...
He was
sprinkling the dusty contents on the edge of the tree lawn in the woods where he and his regal friend had spent so much time this summer.
It finally dawned on me.
I looked into what sort of dog this beautiful friend was. I am pretty certain he was a Shiba Inu. I see clearly now what sort of friend he had. God Bless the man.
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