et in acadia ego

This morning I took a pause whilst walking Dog along the foreshore, sat down on a large, sea washed log and the phrase drifted into my head. "And I also am in paradise" being one of the translations. The bright warmth of a Sunday morning sun on my face, Dog sitting attentively at my feet, water lapping at the pebbly shore, Gulls arguing. When I closed my eyes it felt like a perfect moment.

Wife is sitting up in bed, reading and patiently waiting for me to cook Sunday morning scrambled eggs and bacon. Thin cirrus cloud is drifting east and south. To the west and south, there are snow capped mountains sharply resolved in the clear early spring air. Down in the narrows, the Herring Run has cleared and the water is crystal clear. The day lacks urgency or anxiety. A day for sitting in the sun, sipping tea and perhaps a chilled glass of wine as a companion to a good book. A little slice of heaven.

When my turn to face death comes, I hope I can greet the old fraud with equanimity, knowing that for a fleeting moment, I too have dwelt in paradise.