Sparkle

Sometimes, on these dank,dark, and disagreeable Pacific Northwest winter afternoons, when my dog appears at my side to eagerly announce that walk time is nigh, I don't want to go outside.

That's the honest truth.

Because I adore my dog and would never deny her the daily adventure that is so good for her soul, I suck it up. I brace myself for the inevitable dour, overcast skies and inevitable drip-drops of rain, clip the dog to one end of a fifty-foot lead and attach myself to the other end, and head out into the misty grey.

Usually, we get wet and soggy and chilled to the bone. That's just the way it is.

But every once in just a little while, something different happens. 

Something entirely magical.

While we are walking, the clouds mysteriously shift.

The heavens part.

Blue sky breaks through.

And the raindrops that had just a moment ago been falling through the overcast sky now sit upon the branches of giant green fir trees and sparkle in the sudden sunshine.

You can't see the raindrops sparkling on the trees in these photos, but trust me, they are there. 

The world is transformed. 

And so am I.