Where the Sidewalk Ends

Lido and I had a nice long walk today, the first of many for this new season. I could feel the clean crisp air pulling me out of my deep sleep, yet I resisted! I was sure it was one of nature's cheap tricks, one of those beautiful sunny, but freezing cold days of March. Still, she beckoned me with twittering birds, warming sunshine, and what appeared to be soft breezes. So I tied on my trusty old Nikes and snapped Lido's leash to her collar and we stepped out the front door, a dangerous business so I've heard.

Slowly, timidly almost as if this glorious day was too good to be true (and it is!) we set out, my pup and her best friend. I tried to harness the powers of observation, noting which neighbors were out and about and who had not yet succumbed to the glory of the day. I noticed in dumbfounded amazement that the nearly four feet of snow delivered in the past 28 days has all but melted from nearly every lawn, leaving only weary, trodden brown grass as a reminder of its burdening existence. Delighted, my eyes found new hope in the tender tree buds grasped so tightly by their captors... real spring can't be far off now!

We did not discover new lands. We did not have any grand adventures. The path did not lead from way on to way. We landed safely back at our front door again about thirty minutes later. But, we did walk to where the Sidewalk Ends. We walked there and back again.