Across My Path

Normally when I take my morning walk, I encounter a dog walker or two, several cars leaving for work and several returning from work and not much else. Today it was as if the entire outdoors decided to make itself known.

It began with an innocent little bunny, so small that I didn't even see it until I ventured too close, causing it to jump up startled and scoot across the road in front of me. I think I jumped as high as it did. I wasn't even sure what it was until I saw the little white tail just as it slid into the dark woods. I took a deep breath, and continued on.

Not even a minute later, a huge golden retriever, sans master, darted in front of me, zipping from the parking lot on one side of the road to the parking lot on the other side of the road. Wow! He also took me by surprise. I turned my head to see if the owner were about, and almost swallowed a dragonfly, its angry whir of wings passing inches from my nose.

Good Lord! I collected myself and took a step, nearly obliterating a little brown toad who leaped out of way just moments before he would have been frog soup. What on earth! Once again I set out to complete my rounds. In the next few yards I encountered a cheeky gray squirrel flicking his tail and chattering as he dashed across the road, a butterfly who flew so quickly by that I couldn't even tell what sort of butterfly it was, a jogger in orange caution apparel whizzing by (show off), and more robins than I have ever seen in one place. They were happily hopping about catching worms by the complex entrance until I arrived causing them to swirl to air and flit over my head fluttering for cover.

Even a scrap of paper flew across my path. It was becoming so ridiculous that I couldn't help laughing. Maybe it was a sign. Or perhaps the planets were out of alignment or the moon was wobbling in its orbit. Whatever the reason, all I was missing was the proverbial black cat. Good thing I only do a mile and a bit. I can't imagine what I would have seen next!