CARRIE CLASSON (cont.)

strike.

There isn't much you can do when a 170-pound dog has decided he is going to lie down on the sidewalk.

We saw Darron and Monica's growing frustration and that's when Peter yelled from the door, “Hey, Snoopy!”

Snoopy leapt to his feet and bolted straight to our door, dragging Darron down the steep hill in front of our house. Snoopy landed in a happy, panting pile on the stoop.

“You see?” he seemed to be saying to Monica and Darron. “We had to visit!”

Snoopy is a very sweet dog.

All the dogs are sweet.

Fergus, a cattle dog of some type, leaps into the air whenever he sees me on the trail and gives me a kiss on the face. His owner no longer says, “Stop, Fergus!” because there is no stopping Fergus from kissing me. Fergus loves the Treat Lady. And I really don't mind at all.

As we prepare to leave this place, I think of all the dogs I am going to miss and I wonder if they will miss me. But I know there are dogs in every state, in every country, and every dog needs a treat. I don't think I'll stop being the Treat Lady, living somewhere

Tanner barks in excitement. His bark is loud and strange because he is deaf, but I can tell he is happyeven if he can't see me, even if he's not entirely sure where this treat is coming from.

“You're such a good dog,” I tell him, scratching his gray muzzle. “You deserve a treat.”

Till next time, Carrie

Carrie Classon is a writer and performer. She is the author of “ I’ve Been Waiting All My Life to be Middle Aged” and a syndicated columnist. Her memoir, “ Blue Yarn,” was released in 2019. Learn more at CarrieClasson. com.