Some of the most memorable moments of puppy parenthood are when the little one experiences something exciting and new for the very first time. Puppy's first day in his new home, the first trip to the dog park, the first Christmas. We had planned to experience one of these sweet moments on the return leg of our long weekend trip...a stop at the coast for Kirby's first romp on the beach.
As fate (and Oregon coastal winter weather) would have it on the morning we had planned to spend at the beach, it was raining sideways with that kind of wet, salty, sand-filled blustery wind that manages to cut right through Gore-tex. As we sat in our motel room listening to the percussion of rain on the window and watching the trees outside bend to touch the ground, we contemplated just packing up the car and heading for home. But there they stood, both Baxter and Kirby, looking up at us, eagerly awaiting the adventures of the day. How could we let them down?
We pulled out the fleece and the Gore-tex and headed for the beach. The only other people we saw out there were another couple with two dogs of their own. Of course. Who else would be crazy enough to be there on a day like that? They soon left and we had the entire beach to ourselves. Unfazed by the blowing saltwater, Baxter and Kirby took off, running in circles, wrestling, and frolicking about as if it were a warm, sunny morning in August. They both have double-coats...all of which were pretty much caked with wet sand in about two minutes.
We tried to keep our backs to the wind and my husband took a few pictures (quite a challenge given the atmosphere). We stood until we were cold and soaked. The dogs played until they were hot and panting, and after about a half hour we all wandered back to the car.
Tonight, as I look at the pictures, I don't remember the chill of the biting wind as much as I remember the warmth of my heart watching those two dogs having a ball on the beach. It was worth every cold, wet moment.
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