Photo by Ralf Ostermann.
As I’ve mentioned several times on this blog recently, I’ve been quite antsy for spring to arrive this year.
Combine a long, cold winter with living in a bachelor apartment and one ends up with cabin fever after a few months.
Yesterday was the first semi-warm day we’ve had in 2014. Drew and I celebrated by buying vegan donuts and taking a nice, long walk.
I’d been looking forward to this sort of thing for so many months that it took me a little bit to settle into it. Is it going to get really hot outside in a week or two like it did last April? I wonder if there’s any truth to the theory that cold winters lead to hot summers?
My mind was so focused on what ifs that I barely noticed the first dog we passed.
And then we saw another one. And another one.
Scruffy dogs and white, fluffy dogs who had clearly recently been to the groomer. Chubby puppies and skinny ones. Toy poodles wearing adorable, fitted jackets and a gentle Marmaduke look-alike who probably weighs more than I do.
Every one of them was gleefully happy to be outside, though. There was prancing, sniffing, and one cute little guy who got so excited he accidentally flipped himself over after his human tried to encourage him to keep walking. He’d suddenly become mesmerized by a flower planter. The scents that tickled his nose from it must have been glorious.
None of them thought about the future. They were just happy to be outside on a clear, blue day and feel the first tinge of warmth from the sun we’ve noticed in months.
As I watched them I felt all of my other thoughts melt away. As someone who spends so much time thinking about the future it was refreshing to step away from it for a little while.
Maybe I should take walks more often.