Walkies

Ron and I go for a walk together as often as we can, weather permitting. It's good exercise, and gives us a chance to explore our neighbourhood and to observe things that we would otherwise miss while driving past. Ron always carries a walking stick in case we are approached by an agressive dog. City by-laws don't permit dogs to run loose, but some people let them do so anyway, so it's best to be prepared.

But Ron finds the cane...er, walking stick, handy in other ways. For example, when I have to stop and tie my shoelace (curse those round laces; I must replace them with flat ones) I sometimes feel a sharp tap on my bottom, urging me to hurry so we can resume walking. While crossing the road, I may step in front of him, cutting him off, and he registers his displeasure with a smack of the cane on my posterior. Or if I'm lagging behind, he will use the stick as motivation to get a move on.

What pleases me most is that he's doing this where people can see. Not that there are many people outside in the cold weather, except for a few other walkers. But I like to think that there is someone sitting at a window, observing the passers-by, who sees a man swatting a woman on the backside, and then sees the woman laugh. And the watcher will frown or smile at what he has seen.