The Winter Dog Walker's Lament

Monday was exceptionally gloomy. Windy conditions coupled with the dreaded "wintry mix" made for a wet and cold start to the week. 

Perhaps it's fitting, then, I came across this excellent blog post on Monday authored by "John," apparently a former California resident and current employee of pet sitting service in Oak Park. The post is about walking dogs  — "large and lunging beasts who have four-wheel drive" — during the often brutal Chicago winter. He writes:

"I’m growing a beard (or trying–hurry up!) not because it makes me look deep and sophisticated (it makes me look stupid and crazy) but because it counts as an extra layer in a place where one counts layers, and that extra wool helps keep my jaw from falling off.  And if my jaw falls off, how will I complain about the weather?

My dogs, on the other hand, don’t seem to mind."

It's well worth a read, especially if you're an owner of pets, a hater of winter or maybe a little bit of both.