Chico went with me to an early appointment in North Conway the other day. He waited in the car while I went into the doctor’s office,* so he got a consolation walk afterwards.

The Saco River flows all along the west side of town, and there’s an easy access point right near where we were.

There’s a flood-plain/field that’s been made a park.

With the fog, it was sort of mist-i-cal/mystical/magical looking day.

And zillions of critters have been here, so there’s a LOT to smell.

A whole lot. Everywhere.

And of course for a canine, a species that has a sense of smell hundreds or thousands of times more sensitive and sophisticated than ours, a place full of new smells is like being the proverbial kid in the candy shop. And I get a little tired of our standard, out-the-door neighborhood walk, beautiful as it is. Doing anything with too much regularity can take some of the sparkle out of it. Mixing it up keeps us both happy.

*I get an injection in each knee every six months or so and I’m not very good at it, I get pretty tense, and while Chico is welcome in the orthopedist’s offices, I don’t want to have to manage him and me at the same time.