Scout on Sette Termini and Thoughts on the Constitution

After surviving a major health crisis last fall, I feel renewed and rejuvenated. I go on substantial walkies almost every day, and I've already been on several long hikes. One thing that has changed in my life is that I don't bark at big dogs anymore. If you don't believe me, here's some photographic evidence from my recent encounter with Scout.

Scout is four years old and loves hiking.

I met him on Monte Sette Termini, east of Lake Maggiore. You can see a tiny piece of the Lake in the photo below, taken from the summit meadows (just over 3,000 ft above sea level). It's hard to tell, but the photo also shows a German Shepherd running around the meadows. I didn't bark at him, either.

Barking used to be my way to remind European dogs that we Americans enjoy freedom of speech as a result of the First Amendment. Now that I'm older, I've come to realize that a savvy sausage needs not bask in American exceptionalism.