Is a walk on the beach in peace.....

too much to ask for?

Yesterday when I got up I was just feeling horrible. I wasn't feeling well, very lazy, and had no energy. The perfect solution to help make me feel better in my mind was to get outside, lay out in the sun, people watch and swim in the ocean. What more than maybe sipping a milkshake out there could make you feel any better?

I had been out there for over an hour and realized that a storm was going to be coming in pretty soon. I decided to go for a walk. As I am walking I am just finding such joy in everything I see; from lots of sea turtles nests, to a dad teaching his young kids to surf (yes there were waves), and a man and his dog playing out in the water. As I am walking closer to the man and his dog, they come out of the water and go sit down on the beach. The dog spots me...... and then starts running towards me.....

Now I am still in my "this is turning into a wonderful day", finding joy and all that mindset. So as the dog approaches me, I am thinking that it's going to want to play.....

I quickly realized, as the dog begins to snarl, bark, growl, jump on me, and corner me that this dog does not want to play. I am frozen as she inches closer and closer to my skin. She is nipping at me, biting the air a few inches away from my arms and legs. I try to walk straight ahead and the dog runs in front of me and stops me. I try to turn around and go the other way and she darts in front of my path not letting me go that way. I turn and head into the ocean and she follows me in there too. I am now terrified. In my mind, I just see the dog biting me, attacking me and I don't know how to defend myself.

I am sure you must be thinking "where is the owner?" Good question. For all of this the owner is just sitting up on the shore WATCHING!!!!

I finally had the where with all to look at him and plead with him to come get his dog. When he finally drags her away he tells me.... "She's not going to bite you"

My mouth drops and I say "Well she looks like she is about to"

No apology, nothing.

And I am left shivering and trying not to cry as I walk back to my chair. Of course I break down once I sit down. What if I had been walking with little miss? Why wasn't the dog on a leash? And why didn't I chew that owner out? I was just in such shock that I couldn't even think. All I wanted to do was to sit down in my chair in my little "safe area".

That will be the last time I walk this beach alone and without mace.