Slowed down by beauty, I take more than the usual time to complete the Eagle River loop trail. At first Aki doesn’t complain. She is spending more time sniffing and peeing than I use up enjoying the views. Then she gets serious.

            We are walking through an old growth forest to the river. Shafts of sunlight blast beauty out of devil’s club brush and shattered trees. Yellow wild flowers reach for sunlight, In a few minutes the sun will move on. They will become almost invisible. I will not be able  to resistfollowing the sun shafts to their next lovely chunk of growth. Aki will already be there.