Crystalline Ridge

Maybe it’s the caffeine fully kicking in!

Maybe it’s the crystalline air
scrubbed clean
by several days
of cold hard rain.

Maybe it’s the morning sun
on the back of my neck
as we crest
the Polly Geraci Trail
up on Pulgas Ridge 
before we settle in 
on our favorite rock.

Or, maybe it’s the caffeine
fully kicking in,
it’s been a few minutes
since my last cup 
from my old thermos. 

No, I think
it’s Stella’s eyes
telling me to take note
of this special time,
asking if I recognize
that squawking jay
or caught the redtail hawk
soaring overhead,
making sure I'm appreciating
the vivid colors 
rising on the horizon.

Stella enjoying the Polly Geraci Trail at Pulgas Ridge Open Space Preserve, Redwood City, CA.

She sees it all,
smells even more,
conveys it to me,
subtly, with tips 
of her head,
occasionally, with squints
of her eyelids.

She never barks
when we’re out 
on a trail,
not even 
when she chases
a rabbit 
or jumps 
a quail.

She saunters ahead,
but not too far, 
stealthily scouting 
for new smells
and unsuspecting 
little creatures
hiding beneath
the sage brush.

She clearly
savors the silence
and the solitude 
as much as
I do.