Our dog provides me with a wonderful excuse every morning to get outside, which is where I’d almost always rather be. We pad downstairs while the house is still dark and the rest of the family is asleep. I let him out for a preliminary snuffle around the yard, do a quick wash and brush, pull on my jacket, step into my boots and join him. This time of year a 6:30 a.m. walk gives us enough light to see while offering the possibility of a remnant moon to the west and soft gray lightness rising in the east.
So worth it, right there.
My husband says he is useless without his morning shower but I’d have to say for me it’s all outside. These days, the dog and I walk our usual walk because the earth lies mostly dormant in the light grasp of faded winter. Soon enough we’ll spend more time in the yard – cleaning up detritus and getting the garden going; our forays will be less leisurely and more purposeful then. Whatever the reason, it’s good to have one to get out there and do something – anything. When it’s time to head back in, it’s with a sense of gratitude for time well spent.
My roots may be Irish and Polish, but my roots before time are of the planet. It nourishes me, sustains me, grounds me. We share the same percentage of salt water, and my breath and the seas share the same rhythm in the ebb and flow of air and ocean waves.
Food for mind, body, spirit is just beyond the threshold for the taking.
Step into it.
Just Sifting 
What a beautiful slice that evokes so many sensory images. If I weren’t laid up in bed after foot surgery, I’d head outdoors RIGHT NOW.
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Aww, Stacey – I hope you get out there soon! At least your surgery is during the winter months…Does that help? Thank you for your kind words and for reading my slice!
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Beautifully written, steeped in craft and analogy. I love the line about your “roots before time are of the planet” and sharing the same percentage of salt water.
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Thank you so much! The similarities in composition of our bodies and the planet never cease to amaze me. No wonder it feels so good to be out in it, right???
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I relate to this. I like to get up and out early–particularly on a day off. This post gets more profound as it goes on. I find powerful the parallel saline percentages you point out. Accident? I think not!
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I think not, too! You might also agree then that the morning is the best part of the day, then. No???? Thank you for your affirming comment – it means a great deal!
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I love how you said what I feel. My favorite line is “My roots before time is part of the planet”. Our dog was almost 14 when she passed and I miss my morning walks/explorations with her.
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Thank you for sharing that with me. She must have had a wonderful long life with you, sharing those walks together. Those times are time well spent, for certain.
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Just lovely, Deb. For me the beauty here lies in the relationship you have with your dog. I remember when you and Steve decided to bring him into your family, and look at what he means to you now, all these years later!
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Yes, and you and your buddy Harry were the impetus behind that decision if I recall, and I for that, I am grateful 🙂
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