Rover ran into the surf to retrieve the ragged tennis ball I threw as he jogged down the beach toward the dunes. The dog shook the water off his coat and ran toward me. He nudged my calf with his wet nose, wanting to keep playing. I stopped running, using his playfulness as an excuse to catch my breath. Rover dropped the ball and started jumping and barking with joy. I smiled as a vision of Joan snoring on my porch popped into my head. She was a bristly one, but what an amazing body she had. I’d be...