Not surprisingly there is a group of “regulars” Kali and I see along our walking trail.  Some with dogs, some without.  Some out for a personal stroll with a friend or spouse.  Moms and dads pushing strollers and pulling wagons.  Whatever the situation it’s always warming to make eye contact, share a smile, call out a “mornin'”, or on occasion stop for a brief chat.  As we turn the calendar to a new year I find myself grateful for these now familiar snouts and faces.  And, also very grateful for the experiences Kali and I have shared with them during the past seven months since Kali arrived in America.

We always enjoy seeing the couple that walks with three dogs at a very slow and patient pace. The pace is probably because one of the dogs is a very small Pomeranian who would have trouble keeping up with the other two larger dogs if they were at full stride.  The Pomeranian also has an aversion to the parts of the trail that are not paved.  During these stretches Dad, a robust middle aged-man who always wears shorts no matter how cold it is, carries the little guy in a pappoose slung across his chest.  Very cute.

There’s the rather serious gal who does a lot of training along the trail with her black and white Border Collie.  Her dog, like Kali, has come a long way over the months.  When we first met “Serious Sally” the Border Collie would bark and get very anxious.  Over the months I’ve seen her calm down and now both she (the dog) and Kali can pass each other with little drama.   Mom waves, usually without a smile, but with a clear acknowledgement of Kali’s progress and pride in her own dog’s development.

More recently we’ve seen a young mom almost every day who walks with her two mid-size dogs, a toddler in a stroller, and an infant in a pappoose. I assume it is an infant.   Or perhaps she is baby sitting the Pomeranian.  Mom’s dogs are well-behaved and Kali is calm as we pass by closer and closer each time – while the mom and I share a smile.  A mother just knows….  🙂

Then there’s Don.  Don lives in a home at intersecting the neighborhood that parallels the golf course’s cart trail and next to the walking trail. Many years ago when my kids were in grade school they would refer to the house as “the farmhouse” I guess because it looked like one.  Don is slight of build, looks to be in his early seventies, and dresses like an old rancher.  He’s a smoker and sits or stands outside his house smoking and looking out onto the trail and golf course.  Don is either very content to just hang out or is very bored.  We’ve chatted several times and when we pass by he seems to appreciate the “Hey Don, beautiful morning” I’ll throw out his way.  “Nice looking dog” he’ll reply.

Yes, nice looking dog.  Today as we were passing the Farmhouse I see a guy I had not seen before walking with his two Beagles. “Wow – great looking dog” he says.  I responded with “thanks”, as though I had anything to do with how pretty my Golden Kali is.  Kali gets a lot of compliments on how pretty she is.  And it is at those moments that I want to stop and tell that person all about Kali, how she came to us from Taiwan, and about all the great work Rescued Love From Taiwan is doing with many other wonderful dogs like Kali.  But, usually we don’t stop and just keep along our way grateful for each other and the familiar snouts and faces who have become friends along the trail.

Don’s “Farmhouse” along our trail

Don’s view from the Farmhouse