Wide Open Spaces
February 11th, 2007 by 
dani
Venus has big, dark, sad eyes and a playful disposition, as black labs often do. This afternoon, we bolted from home at top speed and ran along the road, as if trying to escape from something, dodging the cool raindrops that had begun to fall. My feet were wet in my tongs and made squishing noises as I walked; her paws clicked along the warm tar that had begun to release its earthy rain smell. The freshness of the water falling on my head felt like a soothing balm.
We met another dog along the way that was within the confines of his yard. They touched their wet noses through the holes in the fence in greeting and tried playfully to find a way to be together, excited by this moment of complicity where they perchance found another being like themselves.
Several small tugs on the leash reminded her that we had to go on, but she kept stopping to look back as the other called after her with painful yelps. We made it back just before the deluge. Venus curled up in a ball and fell asleep, dreaming of sunbeams in wide open spaces.
Posted in Prose (English) | 
February 15th, 2007 at 9:00 pm
A lovely snapshot!! And I love that opening line. So lovely that Venus turned out to be a dog.
February 15th, 2007 at 9:25 pm
This is lovely - it has that washed, bright feeling that a city does just after a rain. Everything can be seen so clearly and looks cleaner than could be imagined.
February 15th, 2007 at 11:21 pm
Delicious–your words took me right into that experience–peaceful, clean, fun day with the puppy. There’s a touch of melancholy too, and I like the mix of the two.
February 15th, 2007 at 11:21 pm
Hee hee! I loved this…
February 16th, 2007 at 2:02 am
Oh. Thank you! Thank you for taking me along on your walk. How I loved being able to put my nose in the air and smell all you gave me. Especially “… the warm tar that had begun to release its earthy rain smell.”
Luverly. Just Luverly.
February 16th, 2007 at 2:22 pm
I walked along with you and loved it.
gautami
Ambrosial.
February 17th, 2007 at 8:34 pm
Lovely to go for a walk with a dog. I love the earthy rain smell.