What Manny Brings to the Table

Manny is my neighbor's dog. His owner works full-time so when he told me Manny was stuck in a house all day, I decided to take him on my daily beach runs.

Well, wow...what a difference an animal makes. He's so energetic and electric, it rubs off on me and brings a sweet, airy light to my Scorpio-heavy life.

He's a bit hyper...okay a lot hyper. He's only a year old, with a combo of German Shepherd and border collie. Both are serious work animals and require immense amounts of exercise for a balanced dog. (Apparently Shepherds have so much stamina, they could run at a moderate clip for 24 hours.)

It's always a thing of beauty to see him run at his full capacity, like when he chases after seagulls on the beach. Which I probably shouldn't let him do (because he wants to kill them) but it burns off that surplus energy. Burns off my surplus energy too.  

We chase gulls together. And sometimes when we're in motion, I think: Oh look, I am a woman who runs with the wolves. The wild in me has finally returned and the petty neuroses of every day bullshit falls by the wayside.

The strangest thing happens when I take him back to his owner's house and return to my car: I can still feel him there in the backseat. It's like this sparkly and tingly magical imprint he leaves behind. A little God dancing around me. A little Dog dancing around me.