In the early morning, I headed for the back door and found 10 inches of snow blanketing our home. Oh, no, Bryan would have to clear the roof again, I thought. But Rio rolled onto his back, playing in the white stuff and kicking his back legs, delighted. His days in an animal shelter in New Mexico were long forgotten---he had wholeheartedly enjoyed life as a Colorado dog. Rio needed a walk. I had planned to attend an emergent webinar, but my husband was busy clearing. Rio pushed my leg with his snout  , wondering why we were still inside. We were overdue for our morning hike. I pulled on my boots reluctantly. I didn't have time for this. Rio and I walked a block through our neighborhood to the beginning of a road. Rio leaped happily into the snow, which was up to his neck. But I walked slowly with heavy steps, worrying about my to-do list, and I didn't notice that the world around me until Rio started barking. A squirrel chattered   at him from a high branch of a pine tree. We hadn't seen a squirrel in at least a week because of all the storms, so this was a treat for us. Once again, my animal teacher was reminding me to enjoy the present moment, and I was grateful. I took a deep breath ans looked around. Suddenly, there was an explosion of snow. A nearby tree had released its heavy burden, snapping back upright. Silver snowflakes dusted the air around me as a group of birds fled the area, talking to one another as they flew overhead. I watched and listened in wonder for what seemed like a full minute. There would be 1,440 minutes in this day, but this was the one I would remember most. Then I looked back to the earth and there was my sweet boy, waiting patiently for a treat. He knew I would want to celebrate this moment we had just shared. "I love you, Rio!" I said as I gave him a cookie. He had trained me well. When we walked home, I smiled broadly, spirit washed clean, ready for whatever the day might bring. How was the author at the beginning of the walk?
She was relaxed. She felt stressed. She was worrying about Rio. She was still annoyed with Bryan.