I took a walk this morning up into the Berkeley Hills where I live. Every walk, I’m learning, is an opportunity to experience the unforeseen.

Today, while listening to Keith Jarrett’s remarkable Koln Concert — it is such a beautiful piece of music — I walked by my yoga teacher Scott Blossom’s house. He saw me from the window, came out, and we had a long talk about pranayama.

I walked on. Met a woman named Saroya and her dog Ruby, and her friend Mike and his old dog Chi Chi, whom I was told is incontinent. I realized how much I miss non-human love, and am seriously thinking about getting a dog.

Walked on. Met a golden retriever named Carmel who was great at catching her master’s pitches. Carmel seemed so happy, so full of life, and watching her, while listening to Jarrett’s magical music, I felt like I had fallen into some great happy movie, except this was my life.

Kept walking. Saw the Richmond Bridge and the Golden Gate from the top of Spruce Street, headed down the hill. I saw a citrus tree with orange fruit. Took one, bit into it. It was a fabulous, tart lime. Ate the whole lime, and part of the skin, too.

Kept going, smelled the first cherry blossoms, and felt my heart soften. Spring is almost here.