There was a smallish wake for Paulette in the neighborhood last night.
Our newest neighbors, Larry and Jill, popped round to tell us of it. They occupy a pivotal corner, the Block of Gibraltar, which overlooks a vast expanse of the ’hood, and being excellent people they are already hip-deep in the goings-on. So we stayed up a bit past our bedtime telling tall tales and sipping champagne in Paulette’s honor.
This morning we were a bit sluggish for some reason, and I skipped my daily ride in favor of a stroll around the neighborhood, which used to be Paulette’s job. She and Bob the chocolate Lab would patrol up and down, east and west, north and south, collecting valuable intelligence in the service of us all.
And a dog helps. Herself learned that today, while walking Buddy (yes, he has officially been christened). Folks notice a dog-walker, especially if they happen to be walking a dog themselves, and stop to chat.
What degree of a dog is that? We’ve not seen you before … oh, wait a minute, you’re the folks on the alley, next to Mike! We thought you were cat people. And you are? How on earth does everyone get along? And so on and so forth.
This has always been a close neighborhood, but it got a little bit closer yesterday. Why, I saw Democrats and Republicans drinking and joking together, and you just know that’s no bullshit, because I’m a professional journalist.
Mad Blog Media 
Great story, Patrick, you are a pro and a natural!
Dogs and babies are both excellent ice-breakers and conversation inducers. I met a lot of neighbors strolling the tykes around (and I’m not admitting how many years ago that was).
Seems we often know each other by our dogs up here on North Mesa. Wouldn’t recognize each other without the hounds, but with hounds, life and discourse becomes polite. Maybe we ought to get 435 dogs and send them to Capitol Hill.
Khal, they are all ready their.
Yeah, I think what Washington needs is somebody to walk all those dogs on Pennsylvania Avenue.
Does anyone remember when Outside magazine hired real writers and wasn’t just GQ with Polartec and Gore-Tex? Back in the day of Krakauer, Quammen, Cahill, and Randy Wayne White? Well, here’s a blast from the past, one of the finest dog essays I’ve ever stumbled upon:
http://bit.ly/q1g2zR
Read it without tearing up and you’re a better man than I am. Which isn’t saying much. I recently calculated that I’ve cried about ten times as much for dogs than all the people I’ve ever known.
We recently lost the last of our two Great Danes, and like the story above, I can’t count the number of times I was talking to a neighbor about dogs, and he’d say, “you know, there’s this couple that lives around here that you’ll see walking these two horses …” Uh, sir, that’s me, thanks for noticing.
Did I ever tell ya the one about my dog lying to me?
Greatings from Copenhagen! If the food wasnt so expensive I would not leave.
Buddy is a great name for a dog and yes they are excellent intelligence agents as well. I learn a ton more about my neighborhood of 22 years when I walk our grand dog the chocolate lab Cleo. Really a lab is so much better than a baby, though you do have to clean up after them for life. Kids eventually leave.
People like Paulette are the rocks of a village or block or whatever and good on those who aspire to be like her (Larry, Jill and you and Herself). We have lost a few in my little part of the world over the years and they are dearly missed.