Everyday Encounters: A former medical sales rep enjoys retirement with husband and dog

Tiburon resident Bonnie Bates sits with her dog, Harper, on Aug. 19 at Shoreline Park in Tiburon. Bates, who retired from a career in medical-device sales, says the golden retriever, about a year and a half old, has brought structure to her retirement. (Tyler Callister / The Ark)

Now retired from a long career in medical-device sales, Tiburon’s Bonnie Bates has a new boss these days: her dog, Harper.

Walking Harper at Shoreline Park on Aug. 19, Bates says the dog, about a year and a half old, loves to walk and run and has brought some structure to retirement.

“She’s kind of my new job,” Bates says.

For Bates, retirement has been less about slowing down and more about shifting gears. She walks Harper every day, bikes around Marin and still seeks out the kind of adventure that has shaped much of her life, from growing up in the Colorado mountains to traveling through Europe with her husband.

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