narrative freewriting

The hard thud of the tailgate and the jingle jangle of dog tags signal that we have arrived. One black lab wears an oval tag with a small brass arrow and the words, "I'm with stupid", casually pointing to the other, who's tag proudly proclaims, "Oh Shit, I'm Lost!". It sums up the relationship of the sisters perfectly. In an instant, zoom! Off they go, two bullet trains of shining black fur on a doggy treasure hunt. Their tails cut through the early evening air, like windshield wipers set on high. Snouts to the ground, each sniff revealing another clue of who, or what was there prior to our arrival. The trail beckons ahead. The sun has started it's journey to the other side of the world, brushing it watercolors on the sky's canvas. The air feels like an inhaled breath waiting to be released.

This is my favorite time of day here. In the dimming light, swarms of gnats make their appearance, taunting the dive-bombing swallows looking for a fast food meal. The damp earth below gives softly with each step, releasing it's soil perfume: a mix of dirt, grass, and the ease of childhood. Small snakes occasionally dart into the sidelines, brown bodies like ribbon candy in motion. On a good day I can pick one up, hold it in the air in front of me, it's body elongating, tiny tongue angrily flickering at me, just for a brief moment, then return it to the trail.  The dogs are uninterested in the snakes. They are busy exploring out-of-bounds, fur now spotted with glistening drops of dusky dew, smiles reaching from riverbank to riverbank.

The river whispers it's goodnight stories into the dusky air.  Breathing in deeply, I feel the rush of the watery wisdom enter my soul.  My heart is filled with happiness three times over, once for me and two more times for the panting labs who have returned to my side.

I commented on the following blogs:

Alex: https://happiestepitaphs.wordpress.com/

Validia: http://vtomasko.blogspot.com/