A Morning Stroll

Holding the braided red strap between my paws, I hopped down the pathway toward the sunlit park lawn, keeping our walking promise from last night. A tiny terrier mix with floppy ears trotted along the gravel path, sniffing curiously at a patch of yellow dandelions. I settled softly on a warm flat limestone boulder at the edge of the grass to give him room to explore. Nearby, a dry twig had caught inside a fallen pinecone's open scales. Using both paws, I nudged the twig free and rolled the pinecone gently down the mossy rock edge, watching the little dog pause with a friendly head tilt before wagging his tail.