BY SUSAN MURRAY WOLFE
A nice interlude… In downtown Lexington, many of the merchants leave out bowls of water for dog walkers during the hot summer months. I think it is the nicest thing and makes the downtown environment so welcoming and friendly.
Now that Sparky has crossed the rainbow bridge, I’ve put out a nice bowl and a gallon jug of water at the end of my walk at home. (I remember when I brought water to Thursday Night Live for him and tried to share with all the dogs. That was the genesis of “Sparky ruins everything.” He was my sweet baby and I love him to the moon but he was not good at sharing, and could be a little bit of a redneck with other dogs.)
Anyway, I put the bowl and water jug out because I often wished Sparky had a drink when we were on walkies, and he refused to drink out of the portable bowl I got to carry. I noticed over the course of the week or so that the bowl was always full and the jug was slowly emptying, which made me happy.
With so many people in the neighborhood (mostly Kenwick, not Mentelle) complaining about dogs (and other wildlife) I wanted folks to know that at our house, animals rock, and are always welcome additions.
Today I went out to get the jug to refill it and saw someone had left two milk bones beside the dish!
I kid you not, tears filled my eyes.
In a world where it seems like so many compete to win the mean award, it was so nice!
“Thanks for the drink, here are some treats in case the next pup also needs a little snack!”
How thoughtful!
Anyway, a cheerful note in an increasingly nihilistic world.
Love can win.
Susan Wolfe lives in Mentelle and walks downtown to her job, rain or shine. She still misses walkies and morning coffee with her dog Sparky.
Photos courtesy Sparky Jay Wolfe Facebook page
This article also appears on page 5 of the June 2019 print edition of Ace Weekly.
Subscribe to the Ace e-dition for Lexington news, arts, culture, food, and entertainment news delivered to your inbox.
Call today to advertise in Ace, 859.225.4889
About ‘What Lexington Needs’
Thirty years ago, Ace began including a regular feature from our readers titled, “What Lexington Needs.” A diverse array of local leaders — from artists and architects, to bankers and business owners, and elected officials of every stripe and party — participated over the decades.
In honor of Ace’s 30th anniversary as Lexington’s original independent media, we’ve re-opened the forum. Anyone can contribute. Essays are typically 500 words or less, and the most important criteria is that the writer be passionate about what they believe Lexington needs.
Do you have ideas about What Lexington Needs? Share them. Email 500 words or less to acelist at aceweekly dot com. Include a photo and a sentence or two about yourself.
