Quiet

Do you ever wake up and not know where you are? This morning I woke up on Mill Creek. It was quiet. In my confused peri-waking moments the quiet confused me. No traffic. No planes. No early morning dog walkers. Just silence. Disoriented by a dream where I had taken Arlo to Europe by mistake - leaving John at home in Arlo's crate. I'd driven up and down the Mediterranean coastline trying to find a hotel that Arlo liked. Not mindful that most hotels - even in Italy - wouldn't be thrilled at having a 60 pound Samoyed as a guest. I opened my eyes and oriented myself to my surroundings. The minute I stirred Darcy began her morning ritual of licking my face. I responded by rubbing the spot where her third eye would be. She responded by doing an expert downward facing dog...the kind only a limber dog can do. Arlo broke the silence with a dog fart. John pretended to be asleep. Or maybe he was asleep. He had stayed up late to watch the meteor shower. I crawled over John, Arlo and Darcy and went to the kitchen. Last night's coffee was still warm thanks to the advances in thermal coffee pots. I emptied the pot and went out to the deck. There was a chill in the air - a harbinger of autumn. The creek was a mirror stretching from here to yonder. A few late-leaving Osprey circled overhead. These would be the youngsters. Their parents have already left for their winter home in the Caribbean leaving their young to follow in a few weeks. The parents will return in the spring and remake their nest on the same roost where they hatched this year's chicks. The eagle has returned. I saw him yesterday afternoon when I kayaked back into the shallow pools at the end of the creek. The bright white of the eagle's head and tail are unmistakable. Since osprey are dominant, eagle only return when the osprey have gone. "Is there any coffee for me?" The first words of the morning. John is awake now. I hand him my cup and go inside to make a fresh pot. A fishing boat makes it's way up the creek toward the bay, disturbing the smooth surface of the water. The day has begun.