October 18, 2009
“I lie belly up in the sunshine, happier than you will ever be.” -Author Unknown
Belly Up!
It is a beautiful October day. Sunshine and almost 80 degrees. As I busy myself around the house doing “fall cleaning”, I look outside and watch the dogs as they scour the backyard. Bear wanders with nose close to the ground, nibbling on almost anything she finds, while Sadie chews diligently on a bone. Cain has positioned himself directly in the sun and rests quietly.
I throw a sheet on the ground next to Cain and lie down next to him. These few extra feet closer to earth take on a whole new perspective and I start to see the world as my dogs do. The grass smells much fresher and doesn’t look like it needs to be cut at all! It is so soft and cool in the heat of the day and seems to roll on forever. The sky seems so much larger and I give no thought to the dangers of the sun and what it can do to my skin as I bask in its warmth. A bird floats lazily overhead and I wish I could fly. I imagine that the small bits of pistachio looking seeds that have fallen from the trees maybe really do taste good. They look like they might. A leaf falls slowly from the branches of a tree and lands next to Bear who startles slightly. Everything is much larger from down here making it seem like there is so much more to explore. Bear and Sadie have now joined us and the 4 of us lie together contemplating the exact moment we are in. I run my fingers through their fur as they pay no attention to the barking dogs next door. Frame by frame we relish each others’ company until a squirrel appears across the lawn. Squirrels really do seem much more enticing from this vantage point and with that said all 3 dogs are off to the chase!
