Greg forwards me this Instagram of Ruckus at school on his birthday. “Cutest birthday dog EVER,” he tells me A shit-eating grin spread across Greg’s face, he looked over conspiratorially in my direction, and, in that instant, I knew — knew! — I was about to hear another story about Ruckus.  One in which Ruckus would be the hero.  Like most parents, I have special bonds with all my sons, but in a six-month period between last June and December, Greg added a wife and...

Kemba and his cousin Bruce, by consensus, get along as well as any two dogs can.  Or, to be Kemba shows Cuz around his home turf more specific, as well as a mellow, sweet, food-loving six-year-old black Lab and a hyper-energetic, exercise-freak, doesn’t-know-when-to-quit, one-and-a-half-year-old Duck Toller can.  They’ve spent weekends together out at the beach in Montauk.  Bruce has come up from NYC for many a visit to Kemba in Westport.  And it’s always gone...

Lye Brook Falls.  Lye Brook Falls.  All winter, whenever Falls. But not the Falls. we’ve done hikes in the woods, I keep hearing about the time back in the fall of 2013 — I wasn’t even born yet! —that Beagle Man and Langdon and Mike made it up to Lye Brook Falls.  No disrespect, but if those oldies could get there, I could do it with two legs tied behind my tail.  So why is it every time Beagle Man sets out for Lye Brook Falls with me, he always turns back??!!  He did it...

We’ve seen a bunch of firsts for my Duck Dog this past week:  1. his first, legit, off-leash, Chick magnet multi-mile run with me (Eureka!);  2. his first successful, full-extension, airborne Frisbee snag (see video), and 3. his first writing class audited! That’s right — I took Kemba to Trinity with me Wednesday night.  The game plan called for me to head to Vermont directly from Hartford, which meant, of course . . . Bring-Your-Dog-To-Class-Day!  (What, I’m going...

I think I’ve died and gone to heaven. Après run For 38 years, running has been my primary sport.  For 13 years, dogs — first Ricky the Beagle, now Kemba the Duck Toller — have been my passion.  From the git-go, my goal was to combine the two: to go running with my dog. By now, you’ve all heard the story of how that went down with Ricky:  Hank, doing his pre-dog-selection due diligence (though internally having already made up his mind to get a beagle), asks dog...

Whenever Kemba thinks I’m moving too slowly (usually), he makes himself comfortable in the snow and eats wood It happened the first time maybe a year ago, on our second visit to Lake Mohegan.  I’d parked in the lot near the Cascades.  My game plan was to walk around the lake to the main beach/recreation area, then continue the loop back to my car.  Kemba and I had taken this route the only other time we’d been here.  The landmark I was looking for near the Cascades...

I know, it’s been a while since you’ve heard from me.  Don’t think I haven’t been wanting to write.  Ah, well, but that’s Beagle Man for you — love the one you’re with.  If he’s not hogging the bylines for himself, then it’s Kemba — you know, He Who Can Do No Wrong.  Speaking of forgotten dogs, I was wondering when anyone was My best friend Bruce, shown here with the K-Dawg Saturday at Lake Mohegan gonna remember good old Cousin Bruce...

It’s been a great Friday so far.  And yes, I do know my days of the week.  Duh.  I can also tell time, though this may be news to Beagle Man’s friend Rick.  Has anyone ever taken note of the fact that I wake Beagle Man every morning at 8 o’clock, give or take a couple of minutes?  And that I gaze at Mom every night at 9 — till she finally realizes it’s time to feed me?  Seriously.  So what was I saying? Oh, yeah — Friday.  Took a cool hike this Never a dull...

Let’s just get one thing out of the way right off the bat:  Does this (photo below) look like Official souvenir ball of the Zurich airport just some T-shirt?  Yeah, that’s right, I’m talking about Kemba’s wiseguy remark in his post just before I left for Austria (One Tough Week Ahead) — that Beagle Man “better bring me  back something pret-ty nice, and not just some T-shirt.”  That, ladies and gents, happens to be an official Swiss flag souvenir...

I’d be lying if I said I’m not a little bit worried.  Beagle Man leaves tonight for his annual Alps ski trip with Matt and Greg and their friends.  I saw him packing his bags.  That means Mom’s in charge of me.  Which is Maybe Mom will take me to see my Toller friend Griffin at Burying Hill Beach while Beagle Man’s gone. But I doubt it fine. . . in certain ways.  I mean, I’ll get fed.  And she’ll throw me some rope toys while she watches her TV...