Tuesday.
What a beautiful day for a walk on the beach! The sun is high in the sky, the water, a sheet of glass. The only sound is gentle waves kissing the beach. There are few signs of life.
Only recent life.
A pair of sunglasses.
Sandals.
A golf tee.
“WOOOOOOF!!!”
We stop. From our right a bear-sized dog lopes towards us…is it friend or foe? Does it think WE are friend or foe…or brunch? Remain still. Breathe. Let it approach. No sudden moves. It goes for Raine first. If it decides to jump, well, that’s it for her – it’ll take her down in a second, outweighing her by a considerable amount. Two, three sniffs later, we are friends and permitted to pass. Bye Bear!
A light bulb.
A lone sandal.
Bark!
The dog ahead sounds much smaller. A handsome young beagle trots past on a leash, owner in tow.
“Good morning!” we call in perfect unison. What a duet!
“He’s Dennis. He just got snipped. We’re trying to keep him out of the water.”
“Oh” says the duet.
Did we really need to know that about Dennis? I mean, we just met and THIS is the first information you share about his life? And what about the owner? Will he share his status next? Should I reply in kind? Is this the new way to determine the threat level of a stranger?
I feel badly for Dennis.
itsJamesD.com 