After a stressful day of writing and rewriting my latest article, I knew I needed to “get the smell of house” off me as the locals said. I decided a walk would help calm my anxious mind. After a short stroll through town, I found myself at the dog park playing fetch with my dog. The sun was shining and the wind was warm as it blew my hair around my face. It was one of those spring days where winter feels like a distant memory and the promise of Summer is just around the corner. I could smell the salt in the air, blowing off the ocean and it immediately quiet my mental chatter. I stood tall, taking full deep breaths and angling my face up towards the sun, I let my eyes close and listened to the sound around me. The leaves on the trees rustled in the wind, the waves crashed against the shore. I stayed there for some time, stuck in the serenity of the moment, not daring to break the peacefulness that I had found.

“Beautiful day, isn’t it?” My head snapped to see a small elderly woman and a comically large great dane entering the park. She had long grey hair that fell to her waist and her face looked that of a woman who had spent her days outside. Her dog was calm and carried an orange ball in it’s mouth.

“Got to take advantage of the sunshine every chance we get” I not so jokingly answered, as Sparks Cove, my new home, was known as the foggiest town on the island.

Our dogs met and the great dane towered over Juni. They sniffed noses (and butts) then each went back to their toys, happy to play fetch parallel to each other, never stealing each other’s ball.

“Do you live here in town?” I asked the woman.

“I have my whole life, born and raised” she replied, “You?”

“I just moved here a few weeks ago, but I can really see myself staying here forever.” I confessed. I wasn’t usually so forthright with strangers but the words kept tumbling out of my mouth, “I grew up in a seaside town so the smell of the ocean feels like home to me.”

“The salt air definitely adds to the magic of the town” She said with a sly smile.

We continued our small talk until Juni was sitting at the my feet, ready to go home.

“Looks like she’s done for today, maybe we’ll see you two next time” I said as I left through the gate.

“Oh, we will” She responded so confidently, I stopped and looked back at her. She had a glimmer in her eye and that sly smile still on her face. She must have read something on my own face because she then added, “Small town, you know”.

I said goodbye and left the park. On the way home I thought of my late Grandmother. The woman at the park reminded me of something she used to say.

_“Nature is full of magic, you just need to know where to find it”_