Simple Pleasures

I am not the first person in the world to have my heart utterly captured by the presence of a canine, but the sheer joy of having a dog in one's life is always worth commenting on. (Here's a funny little reality...when typing I love my dog, at first I wrote I love my god...hmmm. A simple typing error or a something I need to ponder?!)

Anyway...I do love my DOG. I love walking my dog. I love being with my dog. I love watching my dog do just about anything. I love my dog.

What is it about walking with a dog that makes the walk that much more enjoyable? Tanner's enthusiasm for life, his curiosity for everything, the joy that he exhibits through his swishing tail are just pure pleasure for me to experience.

We were out at our boatyard on Monday doing some work on our old motor boat, The Sea Dog, affectionately named for our former dog, Lucy, who died right before we bought the boat. Tanner loves the boatyard. He gets to run free, chase birds, chew on sticks and jump into the water. He loves the water, even at 8 degrees C (about 48 degrees F). He loves to jump off the dock, into the water, fetch the stick that we've just thrown in, swim to shore, bring it back and do it all over again. Watching him fly through the air into the water is pure joy.

Simple Pleasures.

Like walking him through Stockholm while listening to ABBA. Honestly, you can't listen to ABBA and stay in a bad mood. So the combination of Swedish pop music from the 70's and the beautiful golden boy we call Tanner running by my side brought me to a place of quiet contentment on Thursday afternoon.

Like the morning greeting he gives us, so happy to start a brand new day, understanding that every day is better if it starts with a big lick.

Like jumping off a dock into freezing cold water, unfettered by care or concern, focused on the simple pleasure of getting that stick and swimming ashore.

It's good to experience unfettered joy. Tanner helps me do that.