It's that time of year again... RUN AWAY!

Sitting on this beach for an hour - or maybe longer (?) - the sounds of the ocean start to soothe me and wash the pain and fear out of my brain. I wanted someplace new - and yet familiar - to escape to.

I've never been here before. In the past, I've run to Ogunquit and walked the Marginal Way until I felt at Peace and could return to the real world.

But the people walking on the Marginal Way were couples. Pairs. Holding hands. Foreign to me. If they even noticed me, we'd nod very slightly and walk on.

On THIS beach, there are a few older couples in beach chairs facing away from the water, towards the fading sun. Everyone else is on their own. Like me. Mostly women, around my age. With dogs.

Walking back and forth through the still warm waves, we smile at each other and laugh at the dogs - romping in the surf. "What a beautiful dog!" and "Ah! He licked my hand!?"

I don't have the greatest social skills, but I am quite sure if I tried to compliment the Marginal Way Ladies on THEIR companions, I'd get a black eye! "What a beautiful man!" and "Ah! He licked my hand!?"

A book by Lisa Scottoline just popped into my thoughts... "Why My Third Husband Will Be A Dog." I say - Why wait for number three?

There is definitely something to it...

A beautiful golden retriever was dashing up and down the beach chasing a tennis ball. Suddenly, he swerved and headed right for me. He skidded to a halt and dropped the ball right at my feet! He smiled at me (he DID!) until I picked up the juicy thing and threw it down the beach, towards his owner. A little while later, I felt water splashing me and he was back. Grinning. Plop. ThROOOOOOWWWW! Run run run. And repeat...

It's been a really long time since I've had a dog. I'm more of a cat person... but this one - out of the many dogs on the beach - really tugged at my heart. Friendly. Social. Beautiful. Joyful.

Someday - this will be me...

I will live in an unusual, pretty little Victorian cottage (with a tower!) on the cliffs over the ocean. My studio will have a happy cat, a joyful devoted dog, and HUGE windows looking at the sea. We will walk on the beach everyday and visit with our 2 and 4 legged friends and then draw late into the night.

And it will be Good.