9.19.15 The small things that shine on an early fall morning

As is was before 7, we went out to the local reservoir, to hike about before bikes and runners and students and other dogs (he's afraid of them all, and fire hydrants L  arrived in the misty Saturday morning. He was elated to be there once again, to race down to the waters, to hear the warnings of chipmunks all through the forest. There were people in sleeping bags waking up beneath the pines by the water, but he didn't notice, and we circled back to wander up another path, the forest shining in the mist. 

We came upon a second reservoir I'd never had the energy to get to before, up and away from others, and he delightedly jumped into the cool waters. Tossing a stick to him, not too far out, he began to swim, for the first time, really looking so surprised that somehow his paws were moving by themselves, that he was afloat, that he could move himself most magically toward the stick out further that he really truly wanted. What ensured was no small thing, but big time young dog delight, racing back in and shaking off and tossing me the stick and leaping into the air confidently and off into the water with a big splash, over and over again.

Smiling. Up at me. Me saying "Yeah, you can!" as he turned to do it again and again. There were tiny mice living in the small mound by the water, that for some reason kept running out and then back, to my surprise.
Wonderful wonderful how small things that shine and fill and warm your day.