couple of days ago i saw ann and a person i knew from before walking dogs who said here comes the real dog walker. are you critiquing my dog walking now? no no, i said. we talked a minute and she was quiett like something had struck her silent. afterward i thought about it. today, two days later, i realized the last time i saw her silent face was on wooded island when the volunteer hellhound of osaka garden was chasing me and charlie off the island. she looked at me with a stricken expression. i looked back day before yesterday and i was sure she was talking about me, and i don't care that she'll never understand because she can't. i laugh right now thinking about how strange we humans have become.