Empty Nest/Full House

Dexter and Dover

Post-election hangover and a good night's sleep later, I get back into the routine of walking to work.

Walking is very therapeutic. Not only is it a good way to sneak in exercise in the form of transportation, it's a great way to set the mind up for the day early on and later work out the stresses of the day.

On rare occasion, but on occasion, it can be absolutely joyful. As was the case Thursday morning when I happened across two little white puppy dogs who were near replicas of two little guys who were family to my dear late friend Scott Hayes.

Since his passing four years ago, I've wondered often about the fates of Dexter and Dover. Did they go to live in Florida with his only remaining relative? Or are they somewhere else?

Yesterday, I could have sworn they were right here, staring back at me from an unknown person's fenced-in yard, particularly when they got all yappy and excited as I approached from down the street.

Dover, in particular, and I had a bond. He would always jump up into my lap in Scott's shop when I would go in to have my hair done. And he was there to comfort my dogless self after Ira, aka Bat Dog, died suddenly, leaving me at a loss to explain my grief, why I needed time that morning to deal with it before I could go into work. My pet, my family. Our pets, our friends and family.

So when I saw those dark, bright eyes and that excited little creature jumping up and down behind the fence, was it any wonder that I would be captivated enough to stop and talk with him? Or was I simply a little crazy?

A man who lived nearby came up, and I told him how much these puppies resembled those of a dear friend who had died. Turns out, it wasn't Dover or Dexter, just somebody else's hopefully much-loved creatures, a she creature and a he. But for a moment, it took me back to a happy time when my circle was just a bit larger.