It was Sammy’s first time at the Nashotah dog park. He was only a couple months old when this photo was taken. I loved taking pictures of him as a puppy because he brought joy to everyone around. He could run and roll in the summer grass all day if he wanted to, and that is exactly what he did. Going around and meeting all of the new people and dogs was overwhelming for Sammy. I remember the grass swaying from the warm wind passing by, along with the soft bird chirps in the distance. It was a utopian experience to say the least. No worries and no thoughts rushing through my mind, it felt as if I had been truly free; nothing could compare to this moment in time. The bright, illuminating light fell perfectly in this photograph of Sammy leaping toward the camera with his paws arching upwards. Sammy was just a little puppy full of energy and roamed around for hours. His soft paws pressed into the ground with every step. Once Sammy had run for hours, meeting all of his new friends, it was time for the next adventure of the day. He leaped into the car with all of the vitality he had left. I drove him to his favorite place - Culvers. He got his usual dish of vanilla ice cream with a doggy bone on top. Cold and fresh, giving him more energy for the rest of the day. I decided to take him to Beaver Lake so that his fur could cool down in the water. Sammy was hesitant at first, but after a while, he started running in and out of the water at the speed of light. Eventually he laid down at the shore tired and burnt out. Although neither Sammy nor I wanted our adventure to end, we drove around with every window down. He stuck his small head out of the windows catching each gasp of the clean air. Tongue out and ears pulled back by the wind, he couldn’t have been more ecstatic to be exploring the outdoors.