One benefit of walking Gracie --

my One-Hour-A-Day-Dog -- is chatting with folks on campus. Students often ask, "May I pet your dog?" or smile and nod (briefly looking up from their screens), or offer a passing hello, or even want to talk.

One young woman curled into an Adirondack chair, reading and enjoying the sunlight, hopped up and asked to pet Gracie. "Of course," I said. And then she told me about her dog.

"I remember how hard it was to leave my cat at home when I went to college. What year are you?

"First."

"It got a bit easier this semester, don't you think?"

"Yes," she said.

Gracie, meanwhile, was basking in the student's affection.

She told me she would major in psychology with a second emphasis in political science. "I love it here," she added. "I just love learning new things."

With that, we parted.

A bit later, I stopped to photograph this stencil on the sign. A student turned the corner, looked where I was looking, and said, "What's that?"

"I was hoping you might know!" I answered.

"No clue. But it looks like an insect, doesn't it?"

"Yep. I just love random things like this."

"Me, too," she said. "See ya!"

Conversations with strangers each morning, another reason why I enjoy walking with Gracie.