The quiet morning surrounds me as I place one foot in front of the other on the wooded trail. This normally popular trail is almost empty of people.  There are a few over eager ones and their pups out but definitely not like during peak hours or peak weather. My dog's ears flap up and down with each stride he takes and his tongue hangs out one side of his mouth with what I would call a smile. One look at him and I can tell that he is living life to the fullest, enjoying this small moment of pure bliss, just running for the sheer joy of being outside.  John and I grab this small opportunity to talk as we run around the lake, sharing a little bit of what is going on in our life, our concerns, and our thoughts.  It's a time to reconnect uninterrupted and without questions. All the while we watch the dog with his zest for life and just laugh at his exuberance for being here now. After one lap around and I take the dog and grab my camera while John takes another lap. There are starting to be more people and more dogs, however my dog only has eyes for a tennis ball I found.  Same game over and over again; fetch in the water. It's cold and sprinkling and January but he doesn't care. Sometimes I wish I was more like the dog. Living in the moment, enjoying such a little thing as a walk. He isn't distracted by other dogs or even by the ducks. He is focused on retrieving and enjoying what he was made to do. I take my cue from the dog and look around, a feather, the moss on the tree, the reflection of the shoreline upon the water, the repeated patterns of the bark on the trees.  I'm enjoying the quiet, the beauty, the time outdoors.  A beautiful Saturday morning run and walk and date on a rather grey day.