#c:corey jensen

[jdxculpepper]

"Jingles?" JD chuckled as he watched the dog. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt even the stirring of joy, but animals had a way of making even the grumpiest person feel happy, if even for a moment. He was proof of that. "How'd he come by that name," he asked. He'd met a lot of dogs, and heard names that ran the gamut from typical to unique, but this was the first time he'd met a dog named Jingles. "Was he born at Christmastime or something?"

"Looks like he appreciates being able to come out anyway." JD didn't know this person, but they were suddenly all right in his book. Anyone who took the time out of their day to care for an animal, especially an animal that wasn't theirs, was a good person in his opinion. "Nope. I don't own any animals myself, but I've met enough of them, especially hiking out here. Most dogs are all the same," he replied as he continued to scratch behind Jingles' ears, "good boys at heart."

"Mine?" Corey scoffed, letting out a low chuckle and shaking their head. "No, he ain't mine. He's an asshole." But Corey said the words affectionately. "C'mere Jingles, you little jerk," Corey cooed, crouching a little to try and coax him over, but he seemed way more interested in his new, mountain-man friend. "See? Asshole." Corey had a leash. They kept it on him when they were walking in more populated areas, places with traffic, or when there was someone else around and they wanted to be polite. They'd just been a little slow on the uptake this time.

"Naw, he's a sweet guy. He probably just smelled you coming and wanted to make a new friend. He belongs to my neighbor, though. They just couldn't get him out today." Corey hadn't seen any signs saying it was the law to have a leash, which was just as well, 'cause they would've hated arguing with Samantha - Jingle's owner - why she should pay that fine even though they had been the one to take the leash off. "You got a dog?" Corey asked. "You seem good with him."

[jdxculpepper]

Every day, JD found himself grateful for his job. He simply could not imagine spending day in and day out amongst the hustle and bustle of the city. Though it was farfetched, the very idea of a desk job caused a shiver to run down his spine. In truth, JD was well aware that, had it not been for the Fish and Wildlife department, he would have likely spent the rest of his life in a more readily available job. Ranching wasn't a bad way to spend your life -- it was necessary -- and while JD had done it for some time, it simply wasn't him. Being out here, doing this job -- that brought him peace, and JD was grateful for it.

This time of year, the trails were usually quiet, but still JD made his daily rounds. One could never be sure what would be found out there. He'd just rounded the bend when a dog bounded over. JD waited a few moments, watching for the creature's owner, before bending to scratch behind the dog's ear. "He yours," he asked as the person, whom he could only hope was the owner, approached. The dog seemed to be well enough behaved if just a bit excitable, but JD couldn't blame him. If he had to spend hours cooped up, he too would be overly excited about the idea of stretching his legs. At the question, JD shook his head. "No citation. Leashes are preferred, but if you're going to have him off leash, try to keep him in your sights. We try to keep it safe out here, but you never know what could happen." There were so many ways a domestic pet could find themself injured -- wild animals, falling, exposed roots.

Starter For: @jdxculpepper Location: The Outlook

Compared to some of the folks in Paxton, Corey wasn't a huge 'outdoor person', but they did enjoy going on a nice walk sometimes. The passtime had become more frequent when they'd developed an interest in birding. Probably a pretty nerdy hobby for a 'rock star' (term beng applied as loosely as humanly possible), but Corey liked the peaceful nature of it. It was sorely needed sometimes in the noise of their life.

Their walk today, however, was a little less peaceful than usual, and their companion today wasn't exactly being helpful. Corey's binoculars had been left in the harness around their chest for the last few miles. "Jingles, god damnit, can you get back here?" Who the hell named a dog Jingles, anyway? Apparently it was because he had been born around Christmas. The creature probably should've been on a farm or ranch, but had found himself living with Corey's neighbor who'd been recovering from surgery and struggling to walk him. Since Corey was heading out to the trails anyway, they'd offered to help out.

The Aussie had probably got too much pent up energy, so Corey couldn't hold it against him that he was wagging his crazy little tail and running off down the trail. Corey exhaled, speeding up to follow him. They turned a bend, only to run into a uniformed man who had bent down to pet the creature. "Uh, hey," Corey nodded. "You ain't gonna give me a fine for him not being on a leash, are you? Dude's gotta stretch his legs."