It’s Day 40 of the Papa’s Walk Challenge.

My assistant, Suzanne, brought her dog, Lela, to work today.  After working for a couple of hours, we decided to take a break and walk the dog.  Our 2-mile stroll was guided by Lela’s nose.  She sniffed out some fascinating things including fake grass carpeting a front yard, and a weird patch of spongy concrete in front of someone’s home. It was soft and springy to walk upon.

Turns out the “concrete” is actually something called “wet pour rubber” that is made from recycled tires. While it’s often used around playground equipment, a number of cities are experimenting with it because it’s more environmentally friendly and reduces the tripping hazards of concrete sidewalks.  Looks like our city is considering SpectraTurf for sidewalks of the future.