Lila, wanna go to the beach?

7 a.m. and the alarm goes off. Really? Already? Too early!! 30 more minutes of sleep, Lila, okay? Lay my head back on the pillow...out like a light!! Open my eyes, grab my phone to check the time. Oops! Make that 45 minutes of sleep. Then there they are... those precious beady brown eyes staring at me with the fullest expression of, "But Mommy you promised we'd go to the beach this morning." Okay, I'm up! After all, a promise is a promise, right? Slowly dragging myself out of bed with my eyes still halfway shut I ask myself, "Are you really trying to get up and go to the beach early this morning? Sleep sounds so much nicer!"

Gather up Lila's "going out" bag and make for the door. But wait! I hear Rufus, the 110 pound great dane (who is still a pup, by the way!), bouncing down the stairs. Sorry, Lila, let's wait and let Rufus get downstairs first so we don't do the excited pee pee thing outside our front door. You can say Hi to Rufus later, okay? Out the door, in the truck, it's a gorgeous morning and we're on our way to the beach at Fort Fisher for a morning stroll!! Windows rolled down, cool morning air rushing in to wake me up, and I'm forgetting that I even hesitated about going to the beach this morning.

Walking Lila is more appropriately called... walking Mommy. Yup, my 50 pounds of love is a serious puller. So, getting out and walking, IN PUBLIC, is good practice for doggie and mommy! Gentle Leader works like a charm! Lila is finally getting used to it and she's doing amazingly well with the Gentle Leader. It's that thing around her muzzle. I promise it doesn't hurt her, at all. For once, Lila and I were able to enjoy our walk. Correction. I was able to enjoy our walk without having my arm feeling like it was about to get pulled out of its socket. But enough about this!!

We made it to the beach around 0830... there were so few people on the beach it was like having it ALL to ourselves! The sun shone bright with not a cloud in the sky sending its warmth to the earth and all below. Walking further along the beach, Lila and I came across a sea turtle nest. The sea turtles nest and hatch on the beaches from May through October. Truthfully, that's about all I know; however, I noticed in today's paper there is a talk being given this evening about the Sea Turtles of Pleasure Island. Perhaps I will go to learn more about this project and get involved. I had expressed to my brother when I first came here that I wanted to get involved with a volunteer project that involved the ocean. This could be opportunity presenting itself, yes?

Bare feet touching the sand... connecting to the earth... waves crashing... Lila and I enjoying a morning stroll in the blessing and beauty of nature. I can't think of a better way to start my day, can you?

Lila and I plopped down onto the sand for a short rest. Nothing better than stopping to enjoy the waves rolling in and crashing upon the shore. Oh look, it's the same 2 surfers I saw just the other morning. I remember watching them and saying to myself, "I think I'll learn to surf. Yeah, I can do that!" Peaceful, quiet with nothing but the sound of the brilliant ocean....and then it's gone. Uh-oh! Here comes the rolling of the tide... up to our feet... and Lila's up and backing away!! Yes, it is taking my beach doggie a little bit of time to get accustomed to the roar of the ocean and the water sliding up to her feet. I hope with each time we go she will become more accepting of it all. We shall see. :)

For now, the pleasure of strolling alongside the water with my sweet pup alongside of me is pure heaven!