Life Is Good | Fresh Air

"I love the feeling of the fresh air on my face, and the wind 

blowing through my hair." - Evel Knievel

The calendar says mid-March, but those misty Pacific Northwest skies 

send a different message. And we don't mind one bit. 

I could easily rattle off hundreds of reasons why I love having my girl, Gracie, in my life. 

But easily in the top five is this: fresh air.

Yes, a dog as energetic and playful as my Irish lass needs exercise every single day. Without it, she - and therefore, I - would feel cooped up, over-excited, and done in with cabin fever. Not only does a dog like Gracie crave physical action but her hunting-bred brain longs for the varied scents and visual stimuli of the greater world. 

In other words, it's essential to get my redhead outside every darn day.

So we walk. 

Every darn day. 

Rain or shine, snow, sleet, or hail. 

Now I have no complaint with our daily walks. Because I need that fresh air in my life too. Especially in the gloomy, wet months of the year. Sure, there was a time many years ago when I was tempted to cut our walks short if:

the rain was falling hard, 

or the winds were gusting, 

or the heat was overbearing, 

or the snowplows had once again buried the sidewalks in a layer of icy mashed potatoes.

All it took was a mental reset: one day, I simply decided I owed my dog and myself a daily walk no matter what.

And with that new attitude and a bit of thoughtful dressing, I am now ready for anything.

Gracie always wears her same fur coat. She's not fussy about the weather.

So the two of us make a great pair. We are always up for a good time, and our best adventures happen when we are out in the fresh air. 

* * * * *

P.S. For safety's sake, there are a few conditions that even we do not take on.

Lightning storms. 

High winds capable of blowing branches out of the trees. 

Dangerously high levels of wildfire smoke in the air. 

We're adventurous but never reckless. 

* * * * *

Life is Good Challenge: A series of photos that depict joy in my life. No words or explanations necessary, but I really can't help myself. 

Day 1 | Light

Day 2 | Fresh Air

Day 3 | My Job