Two years ago, I posted a video of Dora and me crossing the finish line with Dan behind us, at the fund-raiser for sick and injured dogs at the shelter. It was a 5K out-and-back walk with dozens of dogs with their people on a path that took us along the Alum Creek Dam. Just a few weeks ago, I was there kayaking with my family, but on this day, it was a family of folks who love their pets and raise money to help the little guys who are waiting for their forever homes. 

You might remember my writing about the pet pig named Kevin Bacon. We met him at the first event, but we didn’t see him at the second one. Then along came Covid, and the in-person/dog event had to go virtual. We still got beautifully designed shirts when we paid our registration fees. All the dogs pictured on the front were wearing masks.

This year, sadly, it had to be virtual again, but we wanted to walk the walk whether or not there would be winners of prizes and free stuff like toys and treats. It was a beautiful day, and we were not alone. Almost everybody we met along the trail had dogs with them, friendly hellos, and even some opportunities to pet their happy dogs. As you can see on our smiling faces that we were having a great day with Dora, and she was thrilled to be photographed between her two favorite people. My only regret is that we should have taken that picture in front of the sign that said “No dogs allowed.” But the good people who maintain this interesting State park must have a soft spot in their hearts for this worthy cause.

This time was different from the others for another reason. We weren’t in a hurry, so we stopped to read the educational signs. They told us what kinds of birds to look for and how the dam works. What a great way to spend a Saturday. Maybe you’ll join us next year.