Truth time: I know more of my neighborhood’s dogs than I do the people who live throughout our little nook of our city. To be fair, when our kids were school age and carpooling and playdates were part of our regular schedule, we developed great connections with several neighborhood families. Thankfully, a handful of those neighbors remain, and impromptu driveway bonfires with longtime neighbors and new families have picked up, so we maintain neighborly relationships, which we treasure.
But I have to say, my (weather-permitting) daily walks or bike rides through the neighborhood allow me to become more familiar with the personalities and quirky habits of some of our four-legged residents. We have the window watchers, the chain pullers, the side-eye givers, the property line chasers and the friendly barkers. And I get a giggle when people greet my dog (not me!) by her first name. “Hi, Pippa!” No offense taken here. Pets can be a great entreé into meeting new friends and neighbors.
I grew up with dogs, and they were an important part of my childhood, serving as stand-in babies in my doll carriage, providing loyal companionship during times of struggle and happily welcoming me home from college. Today, I love having a family pet whose small-dog energy antics and photos (too many) often make the family group chat.
This issue features family as a theme, and we include pets in that category because we know how much our readers appreciate their own pets. The team at Lake Minnetonka Magazine also recognizes the role pets play in our lives—at home and at work. (Lemon, our art director Allison Nolden’s beloved dog, can be found sitting in on a few office meetings from time to time!) In addition, our annual photo contest, Lens on Lake Minnetonka, includes a pets category. Be sure to include your best photos of your pets or any of the other categories when our contest goes live July 1 at lakeminnetonkamag.com.
Until next month,
—Renée Stewart-Hester
