After a long work week and commute, Saturday comes very early. For several years, reveille comes an hour before most of my neighbors. At 7 AM I meet with a group of guys for physical and spiritual exercise. I rarely miss a morning unless sick, exhausted or traveling. I have little excuse: I started this prayer hike. Over the years I have had a number of my friends participate. On the days recently where I have been picking up an older member of our group in the “nice car”, one of the guys who is Dexter’s walking partner now, asks whether the “prayer dog” -Dexter – came.
Since it gets warm and particularly crowded after 8 AM, Mission Trails Park as the sun is coming up is a great time to get a long walk. Today the men are fewer in number; we soon may be fewer still. Sadly. each time we seem to grow our “regulars”, one of our band of “prayer warriors” moves away for job or family. I’m working to convince one of our church fellowship horsemen ( I tease him as our vaquero in the fellowship) to become a regular.
Worse still, armed with poop bags, double -knotted boots, two long leads, I’ve got no free hand for my coffee. And that’s worse than arriving late for an old Navy Chief.
It's a Dog's Life 