Waiting for the moonrise

rocking outside on the terrace
twilight waves lull me 
into a hypnotic jersey state
shoreside flashbacks
where the seascape is 
home to my mind's eye
and my heart fills 
with familiar embraces
longed for in the throes 
of a pandemic
the spirited ocean breeze 
nestles me close
i breathe the moonrise
glowing golden
love is

Rare moment of stillness

sometimes the serenity of
lemon tulip trees as they sway coolly
in the Sunday afternoon's May breeze
surprises us.
sometimes the everyday
cacophony of family life
soothes us.
sometimes we find ourselves
somewhere in between
the sweet scent of honeysuckle
and a smooth, but bold glass of Maipe's Malbec.

Rescue, our favorite breed

Can't say I love her just yet. I'm certainly grateful that I'm free to be my uninhibited self around her. She's my new audience. As we adjust to life with our rescue dog, I'm mindful of how long N. has been wishing for a dog. As a three-year-old, she paged through her dog encyclopedia carefully studying each breed and their characteristics, whether or not they were a good family dog. We'd been buying our time, telling her we'd consider a dog when she turns nine. 

What better time to adopt a rescue than a year into the pandemic? Now we have Creagh, a two-year-old beagle mix, we think black labrador retriever, whose got the most exquisite freckles on her chest and front paws. She's just the right dog with the right temperament for our first-time-dog-family, snuggles up to anyone sitting on the couch. Still wary of unfamiliar people and other dogs, she delights in being the only dog in our home. Most of all, as an only child N. is thrilled to pal around with a four-legged companion.

With great expectation, we drove an hour and a half away to Walkersville, MD to pick up Creagh from her foster family. I'd bought and cancelled two crate orders before settling on my third choice. Still had to borrow a crate for transport as I hoped our new crate would arrive in time for Creagh to settle into our dog-friendly home. I'd scrubbed our home in preparation for welcoming a new resident, and our Creagh Advisory Board of expert close friends and family dog owners was on call. 

Three weeks in, I've warmed up to having Creagh on my daily treks and certainly appreciate even more being in the now. With her open smile, she appears happiest on the trail as she constantly looks back at me and putters along, soaking up her daily dose of tree oil during a woodsbath.

You know that Subaru commercial? The one where the parents watch as their daughter grows through the years? Just like that commercial, I find myself charmed in the moment -- N. in the backseat of our Forrester with Creagh on our way to the park for a hike and some fishing. 

And the moment is . . . perfect.