It is lovely, here in the Sierra – walking the dogs in the middle of the night. The air is still, the sky is clear, with the moon more than half. When I say that I get up and walk my pups in the middle of the night, folks respond as if that were some sort of burden. Rather, it is a calm joy and a good time for a short walk or just to sit and look at the hills and night sky as I ponder. Even if the weather were less pleasant – cold, windy, and wet – I would still enjoy getting out at night. Think of it as an old guy’s very luxurious camping.

My pups: Mr Darcy – a Scottish terrier, and Scout – a Labrador/Pointer, are outside dogs and are only crated at night and then not for more than six hours at a stretch. Mostly they are free to roam; however, not the entire 10 acre property but just the half acre oval bounded by an InvisibleFence. And when we are out for a walk or hike, I rarely have them on-leash. Leashes are for city dogs and city folks.