Grateful Beginnings

The fresh pages of a pristine, new journal fill me with excitement & wonder. Every morning, I write at least 5 things for which I am grateful. The start of a new volume meant Thanksgiving would begin with a list of at least 100. Once outdoors, my eye traveled up through an enveloping fog. Overhead, the sky was clear & alight with dazzling stars. The blessings had already begun for my new list! I watched as the fog slowly receded, finally settling at the treeline. It was amazing!
I chose a new vantage point at the lake. Sitting on a small point between the landing & the burrow, dry grasses surrounded me. Moisture-laden acorns, heavy with condensed fog dropped all around. Save for the still water, it seemed to be raining. The thrush began its morning squabble & the Kingfisher sounded his hunt. Fog accentuates the lines of the forest & I became lost in them. The dawn's soft glow slowly lit up the cloud in which I sat. As I waited for the beaver and the tiny, diving duck to emerge, the morning peace was abruptly broken by the effervescence of a puppy.
Brimming with excitement for a new day, Buddy ran in & out of the lake before bounding across the cover of of my hand-embellished journal. He made several more passes into the water & literally across the pages as I wrote. To my gratitude list, I added, "the muddy paw prints on my journal." They symbolize the enthusiasm of a new journey which each new dawn should evoke.