Do you remember your first visit to the shore? If you grew up around Boston, probably not. Visiting the ocean is one of those things that myself and the kidlets grew up with. Some of my earliest memories were visiting my dad's great aunts in York Beach, Maine. They were both teachers, and had the most adorable cottage right on the water, high above the rocks on the shore. I would sometimes go up with my nana and papa, spending the day at Short Sands Beach and touring the little shops nearby. What would I always remember most? The scent in the air. The minute we got off of the highway we would roll down the windows, and the aroma of the ocean would envelope the car.
Years pass, and let's admit it. We forget how lucky we are to live so close to nature's magnificence. Although I'll confess the minute I get off Route 95 that sunroof slides open, no matter what the temperature. The air. So pure. There's nothing like it. And our dog, Saul, found out for himself just how special it was last Sunday.
It took a bit of investigating to find a beach that would allow dogs at this time of year. Being a confessed cat person for the past nine years, I never thought about taking a canine anywhere. I started researching beaches, and found a great site, Bring Fido. However, as my mind tends to wander, I ended up spending about ninety minutes browsing all the sites around New England that I can take Saul. I kept coming back to my childhood favorite - York Beach. Available for dogs on leashes this time of year before 8:00am and after 6:00pm, this seemed like the perfect time for an adventure to the Atlantic.
So up on a Sunday night Kidlet A, B, and amiga ventured in the Volvo to York for the hour car ride with Saul, ever so excited, in tow. That dog ***loves*** car rides! When we turned onto Route 1 I opened up that sun roof, and Saul's snout immediately went heavenly. He sniffed, sniffed, and sniffed again. The tail was wagging. The four of us were so excited to see his reaction. One could tell that this was a totally new experience for him by his reaction. How cool!
Kidlet A with Our Dog Saul
The true test came when Saul hit the shore. The kidlets and I are total wave divers, no matter how cold the water is. Kidlet B went running towards the ocean with Saul. And what happened?
Saul froze.
Saul was terrified of the ebbing tide. He was confused, running away from the water as it edged against the shore. For the four of us, we were just amazed, literally mind blown at the idea of being afraid of the tide, something that for us which had been ingrained into our being since we were kids. But Saul is a southern guy, not accustomed to the ocean.
The seagulls quickly became a focal point, however, as he pulled at the leash and tried to chase them. He barked, and wanted to play. Nose to the wet sand, Saul sniffed constantly, taking in all that this new planet offered to him. It was truly sensory overload. Saul woofed, jumped, tried to run, turned, and kept his nose in the air for any new scent that would come his way.
While the kidlets and amiga ate dinner I took Saul for a solitary walk on the beach, far enough away from the tide so he wouldn't be frightened. This was probably one of my nicest memories of the summer of 2017. Saul is helping me re-learn a lot that I've forgotten about myself. Happiness can come in the scent of the ocean, or the chase of a gull. Or the hug from a puppy...
