random truths – Day 1,046 (Friday) – legal in Lowell

It’s a new year and that means a new dog license, and it’s late in the month so that meant I was running out of time to avoid the $5 late fee. For two weeks I’ve had “dog license” penciled on my day planner for the days I’m downtown. The renewal form and rabies shot certification were in the day planner, poised for action. 

There were days that were too cold, too rainy, and too snowy. Once, probably more, I was too lazy. On Fridays, City Hall closes at noon, so a couple times it was suddenly too late.

Today, the note in the day planner was seen early, but it felt too early to go. The next thing I knew, it was 11:40 and I hadn’t gone yet. I got busy, grabbed my coat, scarf, and gloves and  got going.

The weather was dry and sunny. The breeze caused ripples on the surface of the water in the canal across the street from the office.

There was a couple in the City Clerk’s office being helped. When I walked in, someone behind the counter leapt into action and asked how he could help me. As I waited for my business to be completed, the couple at the counter was getting a marriage license and being asked about their ages ("Are you both over 18?") and informed about the three day waiting period. That seemed a lot more exciting than my dog license.

Legal in Lowell.

Winston's renewal was processed and I had the license tag in hand and was back outside in mere minutes. Winston is once again legal in Lowell. 

I’ve never put the tags on the collars. After having a dog with no ID tag land in my yard twice in Tennessee, with no way to reach the pet parent, it seemed more important to have a tag with my phone number on it than a city license number tag. Hanging the rabies tag, city license, and ID tag seemed like way too many tags. 

There are years’ worth of pristine tags in the kitchen junk drawer. Someday they may become a wind chime or a mobile or something. We’ll see. It will happen when the time is right.