The Ambassador of Horizon Drive

Ben Glen with the City of Boise as a backdrop.

 In Idaho’s capital city lies a street named Horizon Drive, aptly named (one might suppose) because from the top part of the hill this street climbs one can look westward and see the state of Oregon on the horizon.  Or maybe not… what do I know?  I’m just the mailman on that street…

Horizon drive is not a gentle incline.  It is a steep hill, and can be a menace in the wintertime – many a winter people have parked their cars at the base of the hill and walked home, only to retrieve their vehicles the following day once the road had been plowed and sanded. I’ve also heard tales of the lure of a fast downhill descent on a bicycle claiming the life of one of the neighborhood kids many, many years ago.

Delivering mail on this particular street in the winter can be challenging, or if one isn’t cautious it can be just plain treacherous.  But then comes the spring, and from the top of Horizon Drive you can watch as Boise comes back to life, as the city turns from drab to green as the trees shoot forth new leaves.  The people are out tending their yards, and the neighborhood goes through its yearly rebirth.

Sadly, one of my favorite residents is forever missing.  Ben Glen, as his “parents” called him, has gone on to where all of our beloved pets ultimately go.  Ben gave the appearance of being an unremarkable dog, and yet he was one of the finest I have ever met.

He didn’t bark when I’d arrive with the mail, nor would he run up and act frantic – like nobody had paid any attention to him in years.  He didn’t have ulterior motives, such as being friendly with the hope of receiving a treat, nor would he try and play the “pathetic card” to where a person would feel sorry for him and pet him out of pity.

Ben would calmly walk up to me, and lean into me as he received his attention.  Some days it was hard for him to get up from his spot in the sun, and I’d have to make a slight detour over to where he lay.  The tail would wag, but that nasty old sun sometimes just saps the energy out of a yellow dog.  Getting up could sometimes be so exhausting!

I began referring to Ben as “The Ambassador of Horizon Drive” because of his demeanor.  Anytime I would be off of the route, the substitute carriers would tell me about this “wonderful yellow dog” on Horizon Drive.  Ben was able to tame even the most canine-skeptical carriers, and the bona fide dog lovers looked forward to carrying this part of the route just for the chance to say “hello” to Ben.

Then there’ the neighborhood itself.  Everybody knows everybody and (in case you were wondering) this is a good thing.  It seems that people also know which pet is at which house, who has the friendly dogs and which mutts are best left alone.  Ben was at the top of every resident dog lover’s list on Horizon Drive.

Waiting for some attention.
Photos courtesy of M. Glen

For an “unremarkable dog”, Ben had a lot of admirers.  He was my favorite on this street, and I still look to the spot where he would be waiting as I arrive with the mail.  Even though his physical presence has ceased, Ben was one of those dogs that I will remember long after my letter carrying days are through.  Pretty remarkable for an “unremarkable dog”, don’t you think?