It didn’t take long for Abby, the Australian cattle dog who came into our lives nine years ago, to make it known that taking a daily walk around the neighborhood was one of the rewards she expected for agreeing to accompany us out of the idyllic confines of the county animal shelter.
As I was quick to learn, that demand was non-negotiable, recognizing that pet-adoption carried with it some pretty-much inviolable rules.
Now, those nine years and who knows how many walks behind us, our mornings together have become a routine that’s both physically and mentally good for us. (I’m pretty sure she feels the same as I do about the mental part, although she’s never actually mentioned it.)
During the time we’re out every day, we always manage to sniff out some new adventures—mine presumably cerebral, hers, I’m guessing, more ephemeral.
Either way, I’m sure we agree that walks are among the day’s highlights for both of us. From my viewpoint, the time spent in this hour of reverie has provided a birthplace for many of the ideas that you and our other readers occasionally see expressed in the columns of this little bi-weekly enterprise you’ve come to know as Wrangler News.
It also has reinforced my awareness that producing this newspaper these past few years has represented the most enjoyable, most rewarding—most fun—career experience that any one person could ever expect out of life.
The people we work with regularly, including many of whom we support and who, in return, support us, represent the joys of owning and publishing a small, neighborhood-focused hometown paper.
Which takes me back to my morning walks with Abby.
The time that she and I spend together does, I’m sure, give our combined six legs, as well as both our minds, a chance to wander—she no doubt pondering the origin of new smells that have been left overnight along the way, me revisiting events of the day before and hoping that, overall, what we accomplished made it all worthwhile.
If the day before, for instance, was dominated by emails from people who appreciate what we do, who don’t focus on minor faults but express genuinely felt appreciation for our efforts, then those few moments of early-morning reflection start my day on an upbeat note.
Simply said: Another great day awaits, as does what we hope will be your satisfaction with the time and effort we’ve invested in bringing a bit of information, enlightenment—and pleasure—into your life.
