Early walk

Today, I got up at 6:30 am to take Curley to a play-date with his friend, Jane, a lab mix. This is the time when my dog and I bound. There is almost nobody out, we get to enjoy the moment, listening to the birds, while enjoying our quiet walk in the woods. Even though it is chilly out, we don't care, we know this is our time. Curley starts his day with adventures, smelling around, finding a stick to carry around proudly... Something that never seems to amaze me is how Jane and Curley greet each other; happy to see each other. I feel lucky and grateful to experience these precious moments with my dog. If it wasn't for my dog, I certainly would not be out that early walking through a forest preserve. Instead, I'd be missing out, still in bed awaiting my clock to force me out to get ready for my hectic day. In other words, I wouldn't be "living". Since Curley came into my life, he taught me to appreciate these moments of solitude while experiencing nature. We'd walk and I'd hear birds singing, realizing that this is life.