Sparrow Energy

I wake to my alarm ringing at 6:32 AM. This may be the first morning I did not have a whine or bark, or lick to the face to wake me up between 5:30 and 6:10. Almost like clock-work Orion can land a 6:10 wake up and expect the world to be up and operating right along side him. I hit sleep and roll over, I am not ready to get up. My friend came over at midnight, when his shift got off, to kindly apply the last of my scabies treatment to my back, but I tried to stay up to meet him and therein got six hours tops sleep. Sigh.
I remember I'm going to meet another friend at Sharon Woods for a walk.
"Okay I'm up," I grumble, reaching my arm down between the mattress and wall for my glasses case. I put them on, pull the hair tie from my droopy pony tail and flip my legs over the side of the bed. I look at Orion.
"Orion. I'm getting too old for this."
He slides off the bed, back legs lingering and trots to the gate indicating, "Ready to go out and doing my morning pee Ma."
Out we go, he does his thing, me stumbling behind the ten foot leash. There is evidence of rain on the ground which reminds me of waking briefly to thunder. I flop to the sidewalk while he chews on a long stick newly fallen from the tree.
Suddenly I realize I have only 30 minutes to bathe (get off the scabies cream) eat breakfast (and take my gazillion meds that require an intake of food first) and get out the door. My energy level elevates enough to get us back in the apartment.
Shower, breakfast, pills, dunkin donuts gift card in hand, we're out the door.
In the car, my phone buzzes. A text comes through from my friend, "There are storms coming, still wanna go?" We decide to reschedule, but Orion and I cruise to the dog park hoping to snag a few minutes of running around. I suspect no dog in his right mind, nor dog owner will be up at seven at the park, and I am not mistaken.
The big field is empty, but Orion is just as happy to have a big back yard as I am to not have to have him scoot me a long on a leash, rather move slowly and let him chart his own course.
It is during this time the sky is greying. i am beginning to think he will not get enough energy out, but then the swallows come in. Apparently we walked a touch too close to their nest and four swallows came flying down, brushing their wings on the grass.
Off goes Orion tearing after them like a bat outta hell. I stand watching with a big smile on my face. He goes after one, then shifts to chase another, and these sparrows are having fun with him, close to the ground, quick shifts in the air. The little seven month old dog has the ears flopping, short legs flying out behind him, and his little hot-persuit bark echoing against the thunder. They keep it up for twenty minutes and I decide it's time to rest and return to the car as the midwest sky warns me the storm is not too far behind.