The Faithful

Every day, as the sun comes up, Athena begins nagging me. "Is it time to go to the park?" "Now is it time to go to the park?" Somehow, my dog has figured out that the sign at the entrance to Fort Williams Park says "Open at Sunrise; Closed at Sunset". And every day, as soon as I've had at least part of a cup of tea, we head for Fort Williams.

We take the same route there every day, and as we get closer, the excited whining in the back seat reaches an ear-splitting crescendo. You would think she's returning to a most favorite place after being away for decades... maybe that's exactly how it feels to a dog, because each day, when I open the back door of the car and let her out, it's as if I've just approached the entrance to Disneyland with a 6-year old.

The backside of Fort Williams Park in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, has been designated as an off-leash exercise area for dogs. There I have met some of the nicest people, and their best friends. Almost everyone is an every day visitor-- and in the middle of a Maine winter, you can tell who really loves their dog by who is out in the worst weather, because most of the dogs are oblivious to the elements. Their ability to relish every day, to celebrate every moment, to delight in seeing a friend they see almost every day, is some of the best role modeling I could imagine.
So this blog is dedicated to Athena, who may appear blurry in photos because she seldom stands still, and the dogs she plays with at the park, who make her so happy her tail wags not just back and forth, but around in complete circles.

Athena and Noodle the Poodle 2-20-2010