The distant sound of a barking dog returns me to those halcyon days of youth. I remember the sweet fragrance of the breeze after a summer rain, like the scent of her hair as we walked through fields of wildflowers on warm summer afternoons. Those weekends at the lake with moonlight reflected across the placid water. The tenderness of her touch and the softness of her lips would not be forgotten. We never gave serious thought to what might presage the coming years, or how we promised to never lose touch. Yet, as time passed all the experiences of youth have become fleeting memories, surmounted by the responsibilities and challenges that come with age. I know there is no returning and that makes these memories so bittersweet.