Beach Time

I cannot imagine anyone or anything being happier than Kootenay is when she in on the beach. Each morning we get up and walk along the seawall walkway here in Nazare. Kootenay walks beside me with her head turned to the beach for the entire two kilometers of the walk. It is almost as if she is afraid it will disappear if she doesn’t keep her eyes on it.

When we are about halfway home I let her off her leash.

When the leash drops off her neck she looks at me to be sure that she is allowed to be free. Then I give her the all clear. She jumps up in the air and twists in a circle. It looks like somebody electrocuted her tail and she is trying to catch them. Then she leaps off the seawall and barrels down the beach towards the water’s edge.

With her nose down and her tail wagging she chases the waves as they stretch up onto the sand as far as they can reach. She is always surprised when they disappear and gallops down to the water’s new edge to find them.

Her other great joy is joining the kids playing soccer on the beach courts. I have had to buy a small fake soccer ball to carry with us when we go near the kids. It comes with us or I will have to once again wade into a scrum made of giggling boys, a dog and soccer ball and try to separate Kootenay from the ball and the boys from the dog.

Two boys always want her to play goalie for them. My Portuguese is not good enough to explain to them that once she gets the ball she will bite onto it and the chase will be on. I have tired pointing to her teeth and pretending to bite the ball, but I guess my charades are only good for ordering food and finding gas to heat the hot water tank. Either that or the boys just want a laugh when I try to act out the whole ball/teeth/chase scenario. To avoid the acting, we bring the doggie soccer ball. And it has a magic squeaker in it. Now when she tries to launch herself into the soccer game I just have to squeeze her soccer ball. When the squeaker goes off she comes running to me.

Today one of the soccer dad’s came over to “talk” with me. Between my dictionary and his little bit of English we came up with a description for Kootenay at the beach. We decided that she is joy personified. And, that you feel that if watch hard enough you can finally figure out what it takes to be truly happy.

We stood there and watched three 11-year-old boys play keep away with a soccer ball and a dog. The sun was shining and the waves were crashing ashore