Drake at Dog Beach

Posted on November 16, 2008 in Dogs Travels - So Cal

The blade of light spanned a space between the low smoke cloud gathered from fires in Sylmar and the Santa Ana Canyon. A bright orange oil spot, which was the sun, dripped slowly into the ocean as the offshore oil platforms turned on their lights.

They look like Christmas trees,” said Lynn and laughed.

She bent over and released Drake from his leash. The moment to show joy had begun. The Boston terrier raced down the beach towards the first untethered dog that he met, then ran towards the ocean with her, panting as they sprinted towards Catalina Island. He repeated this maneuver many times as we walked down towards Bolsa Chica.

Soon he was wet. Drake didn’t mind diving into the water, but he didn’t like the waves clipping his shins. On our way back, he followed me along a gleaming flat section until he’d had enough of the surf. Suddenly, he turned left towards the softer sand. He leaped and discovered himself up to his knees in water. Still, he saw the ground he wanted to tread on the other side, so he pounced, then swam ahead. It got so deep on him that he had to swim. I kept circling the pool until I found a narrow ford. We reunited just as the waterline swept back towards the channel. Drake ran about excitedly, disappeared in the shadows beneath the low bluffs, approached a stranger thinking he was me, and then, when I waved my arms and called, rejoined us.

Lynn put his leash back on and we walked back to the car.