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Pete Gavin: First Rain

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With winter around the corner, Pete Gavin has this Perspective about the changing seasons.

“Come on, Augie,” I call, grabbing the red leash, the flashlight and a few doggie bags. “Time for a walk.”

The little boss perks up, jumps off his sunken place on the couch and comes running. I clip on his leash, and we venture into the night.

It is cold and dark, and we feel the dampness in the air from today’s storm. The pavement, still wet, emits that luring smell of the first real rain of the season. Brand new, but also familiar. As I zip up my jacket, Augie tugs, pulling me forward. His nose down, he is hard at work. Augie is a happy dog, on a mission, and he knows exactly where we’re headed. Even if he doesn’t.

The grey clouds that only recently enveloped the stratosphere have blown through, and the night sky is dotted with stars. A distant plane glides westward. “Where are they off to?” I wonder. “Hawaii? Japan? Australia? Maybe, they’re about to bank left and prepare for a landing at SFO?” Who really knows, but still, it’s fun to ponder.

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As we pass homes, their windows glow with soft yellow light. Some neighbors are watching television. I look into a living room window and see a person reclined in a chair, a drink in his hand. The game is on, and a cozy feeling warms me. The people across the street are watching an old movie. Looks like Cary Grant standing by a pool. And there’s Katharine Hepburn. I think it’s The Philadelphia Story. And in the next home, a woman watches the evening news.

Augie continues to smell the steaming ground, the freshness.

We are here. In the moment. Grateful and alive. Life is good.

With a Perspective, I’m Pete Gavin.

Pete Gavin is a retired teacher of English living happily in Sonoma County.

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