“You need a walking-mate”

Killian marches Lehigh Valley rail-trail. (iPhone photo by BobbaLew.)

—“You two sure have gone a long way!”
That was a lady walking toward Killian and me on Lehigh Valley Rail-Trail.
“3.5 miles,” I said. I met her earlier going the other way. She was jogging then.
“That’s the secret,” she said. “Stay active.”
“I’m 75 years old,” I bragged.
“This one’s fake,” I said, pointing to my left knee, replaced almost four years ago. “‘Call Security’ in the airport.
This is still the one I was born with,” I said, pointing to my right knee.
“At least this trail isn’t too bad,” I said. “It’s not a road. Keep running and racing on pavement like I did years ago, and you replace a knee.”
“At least you’re out here walking,” the lady said. “And you have incentive; he has four legs and barks.”
“That’s mainly why I got another dog,”I said. “Without a dog I was falling apart.
And this is Irish Setter #7. He’s a rescue, and I’ve only had him a year. He’s 10.
Despite that he’s the wildest, craziest Irish Setter I ever had. I wonder how I manage a dog like this at my age.
My previous Irish Setter had me saying that, but this dog is even wilder.”
“You need a walk-mate,” the lady said.
“This dog IS my walk-mate,” I said. “My other walk-mate died seven years ago.
Every morning I get bonked,” I added. “‘Let’s go Boss; we got hunting to do.’”