The Beach at Howarth Park

Balmy. If I had to describe the weather in one word then balmy is the word I would choose. Brilliant blue sky, sweater weather, throw open the windows fresh air. Living in Western Washington I know that if the rain stops then I must get out. Too quickly the wet comes back.

I look for evidence of green on bare branches almost daily. It is starting to feel like watching a pot come to a boil. A few bushes, Forsythias I think, along our morning walks are showing the little green mouse ears of spring, but the trees are holding off. Creation knows when the time is right.

I have not wanted to be sitting in front of a computer monitor and my spirit feels empathy for all of my students who are forced to do just that when the breeze calls the heart to come and explore the gentle land outside the window.

This Sabbath morning I can hear the song of rain on the roof and am suddenly wishing I had taken just a few notes to refresh my mind on the details of the past few days. They have been such good days. The dogs and I have explored the neighborhood while Ray has been away at work. In the evening, Connie and I chat away as we walk, finding new places close to home and catch up on each others day.

The first day that Connie and I walked from her house to Howarth Park Beach I took Rudy along. Val had been sick and needed rest desperately, so I did my work from her computer at school. She has a great group of students this year, it was fun to meet new faces and get reacquainted with the students I have known from their elementary days. But poor Rudy had to stay home for the day. I couldn't just leave him again. Usually he doesn't come with us because Connie is so allergic to pets. As long as he was outside, she was fine.

It is just a bit over a mile to the trail head that leads to the beach. Rudy was fine. The tower from the trail to the beach was no problem for him or for us. Where we went, he went without complaint, over the driftwood and the boulders of the retaining wall to the sand and pebbles of low tide at Howerth. When the sun started to get low on the horizon we thought it might be wise to head back. Climbing the tower was not a problem for Rudy, but I was wishing that I had brought a water bottle for him. We got back to the road and were headed up the hill when Connie mentioned that her sciatic (sp?) nerve was starting to bother her. She is a lifetime bus driver and that is a job that is hard on a girls body. I offered to call Chris to come get us, but she was sure she could make it. Connie has never been one to give up when she is determined to accomplish something.

More then once, we had noticed a woman at the beach with a camera on a tri-pod. She stopped her car next to us on the road just as we were praying for the umph to get back up that hill, "Would you Ladies like a ride?"

In theory, we absolutely did not want to give up our walk and ride. But the reality was the pain was coming on and could easily overwhelm. We settled into her comfortable back seat. After the introductions she told us, I just couldn't see you forcing that poor little puppy to walk all the way up the hill."

Sometimes kindness comes from places in the heart that take me by surprise.

Deborah... still laughing