Writing Resources from Fifteen Minutes of Fiction

Canine Companions

A few weeks ago, Nate and I hiked Mount Cutler, down in Hiram, Maine. As we started our hike, we were pleasantly surprised to find that a local dog wanted to tag along. He didn't ask our permission, he simply trotted along beside us as we made our way up the mountain.

Sometimes he would run on ahead, then he would sit and wait for us. Sometimes he would explore off to the side, but he would always come trotting back to us.

When we arrived at the steep sections, I struggled to climb up over one very large boulder, and said, "Well, I'm guessing Bowser won't follow us up over this!"

I was mistaken. The little pooch didn't even hesitate; he simply scrambled up over the boulder, with his claws catching at whatever footholds he could find along the way.

I was impressed.

Yesterday, I saw something even more impressive. I was at 4000 feet of elevation on Saddleback Mountain, along the Appalachian trail in Maine, and I saw a couple with two little dogs. Each of the dogs had a pack filled with supplies, and they were trotting along beside their masters, with far more enthusiasm than I was feeling, after hiking for about nine miles.

"How long have you been hiking?" I asked the man.

Proudly, he smiled and said, "We started out in Georgia."

Georgia.

That was when I realized how utterly silly the English language can get. After seeing these fine, energetic canine companions, I find myself wondering: Why in the world do we refer to the way I'm feeling right now as "dog-tired?"

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