Dog on the Run

Cody, my almost-17-year-old dog, has discovered a new pastime: running.

I'm not making this up. Some of you may recall The Codeman's bad heart and numerous old-age brushes with the Great Beyond. Well, since he has become part of an extended family of two- and four-leggeds, his health has improved exponentially -- to the point where he no longer needs his meds.

Here's one of the things he loves the most these days: When the rest of us are sitting on the Cold Comfort Cottage front porch, Cody starts running laps around the house. He always runs clockwise; we're not sure why, but he does. Once he gets started, he is in his own space, unresponsive to his humans or fellow pets or any other external stimuli. And he runs full tilt boogie, tail wagging furiously, until he's so tired that his little butt starts wobbling side to side in fatigue and he trips himself with his hind feet. But he's still happy -- joyful isn't too strong a word for his demeanor during and after these circular treks. Cody's motto: "Life is good."

We'll sit on the porch and observe, over time, "Cody, Lap One...Cody, Lap Two...Cody, Lap 3." We've counted up to 25 laps.

I hope that when I am the human equivalent of 17 dog years I'll have half Cody's energy.