PETS | NATURE THERAPY

Getting High With My Dog

A bike ride on the beach with Halo

Halo flying in full stride. — Author Photo

I peel off my wetsuit. Saltwater drips from my nose, my hands and feet still numb from surfing in 48-degree water. A propane fire pit in the back of my truck warms me with its glow as much as the heat. Waves a quarter mile offshore leap and peel down the beach. Spray feathers off the back of the breaking waves glistening in the sun’s horizontal rays. Despite the good conditions, I paddled in after a few rides to bike with my furry boy, Halo.

Halo is my third dog. He’s lucky other dogs have paved the way for him. At 52 years old, I’m soft and mushy. My first dog in my twenties showed me that prioritizing time for loved ones fills me as much as pursuing my own needs, maybe even more. Halo paces back and forth in the truck bed and barks at me to hurry up. I cinch my hoodie and hold my socks and feet over the fire before putting my boots on.

Toughy, my first dog, found me at age 22, fresh out of college. He taught me so much about priorities as a single young guy. I’m absolutely a better Dad because of him. — Author Photo

Out on the beach, I toss a leg over my bike and peddle away. Halo rears up on his hind legs and takes off, his ass moving faster than his body. I grind along the loose sand toward the hard pack at the low tide line.