autumn

Up her hoody went, and then she tucked her feet beneath her body.  A cold, blustery day-

But too pretty not to enjoy for a few minutes with her dog.  Ralph, an old terrior with black fur and a silver snout that echoed across his body in occasional silver hairs, kept his nose to the ground, having caught wiff of something.  Had it not been windy maybe she could hear his loud "huff" of the nose and his mouth when he opened it to get a better catch of the scent.  She could however hear his feet scraping over leaves.  The soft rumble of the wind reminded her of the beach.

Leaves flipped and drifted to the ground all around her.  The gutters were full; they'd only been cleared last week. But that is part of being surrounded by beautiful trees. Her dad had said he'd simply mow throught all the leaves.  Seeing how many there were in one corner of the yard, she wondered if he had been fibbing to keep her from raking. 

A smile caught at her lips as she stared at the grass, long now with dew glistening in sunlight and shimmering because of the wind moving it.  She was thinking about what different people in her life would say about this morning. 

Alone, she turned towards God and thanked him for the morning. She looked more closely at the different trees He had made-- a maple tree that actually had green leaves still that swelled like sails of a ship in the breeze; a pine tree with soft bristles that seemed to wave a thousand hands at her; a persimmon tree in the distance that glowed behind the pines, branches shifting forth and back.  God's hand.

 A blush itched to crawl across her face but it didn't, having wondered what one fellow she knew would say about the morning.  She silently told God about that, too-  He understood.

Mom would probably be talking on the phone were she here, admiring the morning and celebrating it the way she loved to- by talking with someone dear to her.

Dad would probably stand in the window and do dishes, relishing the beauty of nature, and finding satisfaction in getting a needed chore done with.

Her older brother would almost certainly sit for a few minutes in silence, and would've liked for someone else to join him, even if silent.  Ralph would be sufficient company for him though if no other person would venture into the chill and glow.

She looked at Ralph, now sitting on the sidewalk across from her.  He simply sat and looked towards the big lot adjacent to their yard.  He was calm, ears not raises and slouched somewhat.  He was just observing all around him, still, except for an occasional turn of the head to see elsewhere.  He would do the same without her, but he stayed outside longer when there was company outside with him.