Dog walking has once again been proven to be great for your health. Any dog owner could have told you this, but the Canadian's decided to study it. They found that owning a dog nearly doubles the amount of time spent walking.

In other words people do not have the discipline to get up and go for a walk because it is good for their health, but they will get up and go for a walk because it is good for their dog's health. "There's this extra dog obligation that helps get people up and out for their exercise," study co-author Shane Brown, a physical education instructor and researcher at the University of Victoria, said in a prepared statement.

Results of the dog walking study were reported in the February issue of the American Journal of Preventative Medicine. There were 351 adult participants in the study; I assume they are measuring the number of adult humans that participated and not the number of adult dogs. The study found that dog owners walked an average of 300 minutes a week as opposed to 168 minutes for those without a dog.

Mt. Etna is located on Sicily, the island being kicked by the toe of the boot of Italy. Mt. Etna is Europe's most active volcano and is visible from all over the eastern part of the island. When my sister and I visited Sicily last spring we spent an afternoon walking around Mt. Etna.

Through the centuries, and when I say centuries, I mean going back long before the birth of Jesus, Mt. Etna has dominated life in Sicily. Eruptions from the volcano have buried cities and damaged towns that still bear the scars. It is surprising as you tour the island how often you will be reminded of the power of the mountain. And yet, her fertile soil has produced food for one of the poorest areas of Italy.

We took a bus up the mountain stopping mid-way at a little roadside stand where a family was selling locally produced honey near an old house. This was definitely a family run business without a hint of tourism about it. If the stand is open I encourage you to stop. It is much nicer than the touristy places you will encounter near the parking area further up Mt. Etna.