Oscar, How do you do it? I heard that, in one weekend...

... you crewed for a participant at North Conway's Tuckerman Inferno, you attended a Baptism in Hartford, Connecticut, and you were a spectator at the 2009 Boston Marathon. Is this true? Sincerely, Impressed

Dear Impressed, It's not a big deal, really. I will say this: The opportunities for a dog to pick up food at the Inferno are excellent. Extreme athletes at the Inferno just shove food in the direction of their mouths -- not really noticing what they're dropping on the ground. Very good pickings. And babies? They're a dog's best friend. Babies not only drop food on the ground; they throw it! And the Marathon-watching-crowd in downtown Boston? They dropped hot dogs, yogurt, ice cream, French fries... you name it, they dropped it. I especially recommend the sausages they were selling on Boyleston Avenue.

It was, all-in-all, a very rewarding weekend. Oscar

Dear Oscar, How do you feel about birds? Regards, Stanley

Dear Stanley, I LOVE birds! Chasing them, that is. But on the other hand, I do resent their unfair advantage. I mean, it's one thing that just when you almost have them, they flap their wings and take off. But then they'll just sit in trees. I can't climb a tree. How are we going to play if they're going to sit in a tree all day?

And what's the deal with sandpipers? Sandpipers are those grey spotted birds with the semi-long beak and the moderately long legs. They whistle and whistle to get your attention, and they limp around like their legs and wings are all messed up. Then once you're there to sniff and lick 'em, they take off -- no injury after all.

I guess on second thought, I have mixed feelings. I love running after them, but I'm not fond of fakers or flyers. Put us on a level playing field and I'll show you who's standing after an afternoon of old-fashioned romping. And it won't be our feathered friends, I'll tell you that right now.

Thanks for the question, Oscar

Dear Oscar, You need to post more often! PS Nice running with you today. Your friend, Todd

Dear Todd, Likewise to you, Mr. Speedy. I'd keep up with you, but I am leashed to my slow owner. Oh well, maybe another time.

As for the frequency of my posting, I completely agree. But I have good news: you can expect more posts from me moving forward. You see, my owner (the same slow runner to whom I just referred) is changing jobs. No, he wasn't laid off, and no, Stowe is not downsizing. Rather, every spring, my owner, a career skiing professional, shifts gears. And this summer he will be working full-time at home as a freelance writer. And you know what that means, right? That's right -- it means editors take notice: the world's best writer is available to write for you!

And do you know what else it means? That's right! Instead of turning the computer off and heading up to the mountain every day, he'll be here at the house, and the computer will be on. And whenever he takes a break, yours truly will be jumping on to add another post to my blog. It won't, of course, be easy. My owners would freak if they caught me playing on their computer! Obviously, neither of them knows about this blog. So let's just keep it our little secret.
Your sneaky friend, Oscar