The world feels darker and quieter than any other winter day.
No hum of traffic heading home, no distant blinking lights—many are away.
The stillness is broken only by the rumble of a jet overhead, chasing the New Year.
For some, this walk might seem a chore. But in the dark, the peace heals. The world feels calm, its quiet care embracing you.
In the foreground, an ethereal glow moves like floating fairy light—dancing closer it reveals a collar lamp.
Torchlight flickers, catching reflections in curious eyes—dogs checking in, following scents to their ends.
The loudest sounds come from roosting birds, wings flapping as starlings shuffle for their places.
The soft splash of paws in water and mud joins the quiet rhythm.
This walk is no chore; but a gift.
A moment of solitude, surrounded by nature, embraced by the dark, and tethered to the joy of a dog.
The dark and the dog—friends few truly understand