A Smile

     It was hot. So very hot. So unusual for this area most of the time, but for about 3 days a year we get scorching heat, sometimes pushing the 100* mark. Our average year round temperature is around 72* so we are totally unprepared for the heat when it comes. No one has air conditioning on the Central Coast, except maybe some of the big businesses like Walmart (very busy on hot days) and the movie theaters.
     "Too hot to cook," I told my husband, "Let's go to CJ's for dinner." This is our local family owned restaurant that is our fall back for anytime we want to go out and don't feel like #1- getting dressed up, #2 - paying a lot of money. They serve breakfast all day, but have a good variety on the menu from fish & chips to steaks.
      On the 5 minute drive down the main drag of town we came up to a stop light. A building at the corner used to have an International House of Pancakes, that closed down several years ago, and now sits empty with a "For Lease" sign in the window. The property owners keep the property up; bushes cut, parking lot cleaned and maintained. As we sat at the light waiting for it to turn green, I noticed a young couple on the corner. We get a lot of people walking up and down this main street so at first I didn't think anything of it. But they were not waiting to cross either the main street or the side street at the light. They were standing on the corner, but were turned to the corner of the building. In their hand I noticed they held a leash and at the end of the leash was - now I don't know my dogs very well - what looked like a long-haired golden lab. I am not a dog person, per say, though I had a dog growing up and Doug and I had a dog when we were first married. Her name was Nicole...but that's another blog.
     As they shifted apart I saw what they were looking at. I have to tell you it was kinda cute. Their dog was busy rolling and jumping through the automatic sprinklers that had obviously come on as they were passing. He was having such a good time and the young couple was giving him a long leash to be able to enjoy the cool water. They were smiling and taking pictures of him on their cell phones. You could probably find the video by now on You Tube! And I bet that for the next couple of hot days the route for a walk was predetermined as to time and place.
     I showed Doug but by the time he looked over the light had changed.
     Just a moment in time that brought a smile.

Originally written in journal:October 2012