Awakening From A Deep Slumber

Life around me has awoken from the deep slumber that was winter.  Today, the meteorologists were so far from right it makes me wonder why we pay these people to predict our weather for us.  We were told to expect rain all day and a high in the mid 50s.  We had zero rain a full day of sun and temps in the high 60s.

I received a phone call at 11 this morning from my grand daughter telling me it was warm out and she had taken a walk with her mom, now she wanted to come take a walk with me.  She, mom and puppy Zakk arrived shortly after.

The excitement on her face was evident, it was the same look you get when someone has a secret they can’t wait to tell you, but know they can’t yet.  I made an executive decision and decided to let her guide us.  The afternoon would be hers to give.

The moss has survived another winter

We were told we had to walk through the cemetery because “Zakk will like it”.  Zakk was a trip not only in the cemetery but all through town. Every dry leaf that blew in the wind had to be chased down, every wet pine cone tasted, and every twig and rock he wanted to carry around with him.

Just one of many enjoying a little ice fishing on the lake.

We had to stop to watch the fishermen/women for a bit to see if they were catching anything, but that soon lost its novelty.

We spotted our first bulbs peeking through, but not many yet.

Onward we went into town, little one wanted to walk over to the downtown mall.  When I say downtown mall, it has only 4 stores, a tanning salon, hair salon, and a dog agility business in it. On each end of the building is a locally owned restaurant, one Mexican one Chinese.  Yes, I do live in a very tiny town, which is also why I was able to give up my car after moving here.

Her hope, in wanting to visit the mall, was that there would be a dog show going on.  We passed,or rather were passed by numerous people on bikes, skateboards, and even families with little ones in strollers.  We found people at the basketball courts enjoying pick up games.

At the mall, we went in to watch the dog agility show.  The excitement you could feel outside in the human population at being able to get out and enjoy some warmth was not lacking in the dogs.   Where in all the past shows we have seen the dogs perform nearly perfectly, today, every dog refused to listen to the commands and ran through the course barking, leaping and running to what appeared to be their favorite tests of agility, much to the dismay and occasional humor of their owners.  The judge spent more time laughing than judging.

The dogs were in a playful mood and many realized we had a puppy with us.  They would drag their owners over to lay down and play with Zakk, much to his enjoyment.

My grand daughter was able to meet and pet 3 adult Golden Retrievers, but is still skeptical that her dog will look like them when grown.

Leaving the mall, mom was hungry. It was getting late and all the locally run businesses that had outdoor seating (we still had Zakk with us) were closed.  Little one suggested Tim Horton’s if she could have macaroni and cheese.  With no other options available to us we ended up at the outdoor tables of Tim Horton’s.

What could be better than a late lunch outdoors?

Stomachs satisfied, little one again began directing us through town.  We found a new business in the down town area, a dog grooming business. I hope they do well as it’s nice to see new businesses opening in the few empty units available.

Next up was the university, she had to make sure all the things around town, including her favorite spots on the campus were still there for her.

When she was satisfied that the university was still as she remembered it was off to one of the smaller playgrounds where even the dog had to get in on the fun.

The slide wasn’t his cup of tea which we found out when he leaped off the side rather than continue down to the bottom.

Through our journey, we had plenty of opportunities to stop and chat with people we haven’t seen in months.  It was good to see them again and learn they are doing well.

The smells in the air were delicious, and the sounds even better.  In addition we learned to anticipate the dog’s sudden change of direction by listening for the rustling of leaves, knowing he would have to chase them, it saved being tripped up as often.

We stopped to find where the sounds of wind chimes were coming from and found the entire second floor balcony of one home was lined with them.

Just one of the melodic chimes along the length of this balcony.

Coming home, we again had to take the long way to enjoy the snow still on the road paths for both child and her puppy to play in.

A few areas while warm weren’t being used, such as this seating area of my next door neighbor.

This spot is surrounded by a hill of pines behind it, a peaceful spot on summer evenings.

Once back at my home, it was finally time to relax, paper and markers came out, Zakk scarfed down some food and fell into a deep sleep with pleasant dreams, which we know because we saw the smile on his face, as he twitched about.

This is why I downsized my life.  I wanted to be free to enjoy the little pleasures life will surprise you with when you least expect it.  What experiences would you like to have as a result of simplifying your life?

//

About these ads