Breaking Trail

I could barely see the trail as I set out in the early morning light. Flynn, my friend Bridget's Border Collie, broke the trail, bounding and sprinting through the snowy woods. He is a great dog! His eyes burn with intensity at any chance to run or retrieve, and his body moves with a silky swiftness that can only be described as graceful. His black and white frame blends with the surrounding winter landscape, and he seems to become one with the woods. It was barely 6:30, but the first rays of pink light were peeking through the spruce trees. I romped through the powdery white snow that blanketed the ground. Each step brought us closer to the ocean. The sound of waves breaking against the rocky shore interrupted the silence of the woods. The trees began to part and the ocean appeared like a shining needle in a haystack. I followed Flynn as he sprinted to the slippery edge. The Penobscot Bay was still, like a 30 mile wide sheet of glass covered its surface. A few birds swooped overhead, but the serenity of the moment was breathtaking. The sky was slowly turning pink. The cold water lapped at my feet as the brave Border Collie entered the Bay, and immediately began to scan its smooth surface. He swam to a large rock, which was barely protruding out of the water. Gracefully, he arched his back and positioned his front legs on the top of the rock, and peered out into the distance. I quickly dropped to my knees, my faithful Nikon at the ready, and snapped away at a furious pace. What a sight it was! A true creature of the outdoors, free of all collars and leashes, bathing himself in the early morning light of a winter sunrise. What a freedom he must have felt, all alone out on that rock. I watched as the sun began to appear over North Haven. Slowly, it rose, like a giant a ball of fire, igniting the bay in a blaze of bursting color. The pink of the early morning was now turning into the blue of an approaching day. The sky was clear, and the clouds continued to lazily drift towards the west. I called Flynn from the freezing water and he leaped onto dry land. Jagged patches of ice clung to his furry skin. We marched back up the path to the road, man and his best friend together as one. I watched as the rising sun slowly illuminated the tops of the towering spruce trees. The morning light was now all around us, showering the coast with a golden hue that lifted the heart and warmed the soul. The new year had begun. Just another day in paradise.