A stray dog circles the rather vacant beach. Lean and leisurely, he weaves around people sunning themselves like he’s a bored security guard. He heads for an unattended pile of belongings. He wanders up to the beverages, discarded clothes, and sunglasses. Humans recently vacated this area. Humans left these garments behind so they could step into the sea.  He sniffs at the brightly-colored beach towel, admiring it for a moment. Then, of course, he pees on it.

A woman standing in the water raises her hand to her forehead, to shield her eyes from the sun. She squints to get a better look. Is that a dog by her family’s things? The bold beast kicks dirt over the area he claimed, to prove he was there, to prove he paid a visit while they were elsewhere. He sniffs once more and dances away as a lady in the water…