Dustin, the golden retriever who lives next door to Locus, is back after a week’s absence. I saw him on his daily walk at dusk with his family, the mother pulling her toddler in a toy wagon, Dustin following with great dignity, a lemon in his mouth.

Big yellow Dustin frequently greeted me when I arrived in the morning, approching with his slow, tail-wagging walk in the driveway. As retrievers do, he always brought gifts, proudly holding his head up to show me a pine cone or a tennis ball. Any attempts at extracting them were fruitless and he never went so far as dropping them at my feet. I would praise him and pat him on the head, he would look pleased, and walk away still carrying his prize. Sometimes, if I’d parked at the end of the driveway and had a long walk to the door, he’d come back to show me he now had TWO pine-cones or tennis balls.