Autumnble

Petey spots a squirrel on our morning walk through the autumn leaves.

I have a perfectly fine bed, soft and roomy and toasty warm. So very conducive to sleeping in. Well, if I didn’t have a dog, that is.

Despite the excellent accommodations I have for snoozing away my mornings, the 25-pound Oreo cookie who lives with me always has other plans.

My dear, neglected Stinky Pete crawls out from under the covers around 5:30 each morning after having slept curled against my rump all night. He stretches and shakes then whimpers as if he were a Dickensian orphan until we take our first steps out the front door for a walk. Truly, he deserves an award for his performance.

But this morning, I had to be glad the little miscreant woke me up. At 59 degrees, the fall morning was lovely, magical even. Golden leaves tumbled from their branches in flourishing shocks of color. God had outdone Himself with the beauty of it all, I must say.

As I collected the occasional acorn (because, why not?) and took in the sounds and glory of the earth waking up, I thrilled at being alive and having thoughts and ideas to share with others. What an amazing place the world is—especially when we’re able to share the best of ourselves with one another. We’re so very blessed for our minds and our hearts and our thoughts.

Somewhere along the walk, an idea came to me for a new story. I didn’t expect it, but I was overjoyed by and thankful for it. I couldn’t wait to get back home and empty my pocket of acorns, and then write down the idea so that it could grow and become something rich and meaningful.

So, here’s to Petey, overly dramatic on an autumn morning but the catalyst for a tumble into a new idea for sharing with others.

—Shelley